To Save a Life
by EmonyJade
Summary: By all rules of nature, Jacob and Nessie's daughter, Allyssa, should not exist. When she begins to fall apart, who will be there to put her back together? Marcus/OC Fic, but all characters are in there. If you like the Volturi, you'll like this story.
1. Domestic Debate

I've already got two active stories, but I started this one at work. Not sure I like the Idea I have for it or not, but thought I'd post it and see what response I get. Let me know what you think. I'll continue it if there is enough interest. This story is more for my own amusement than anything else. Don't own Twilight.

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><p>Today was a good day.<p>

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Montana. It was in the high 60's, with not a cloud to be seen in the sky. Normally, I would have driven to school and back, but who could resist walking on a day like today. Tack on the fact that it was Friday at 5pm and you could call this very moment a high school student's dream. Life was good, at least for the moment.

It was a few miles from the school to my parent's house, but I didn't mind the distance. Not on a day like today. I was on cloud nine, until I got close enough to my house to hear the raised voices. More accurately, the raised voice of my father. I was still a long ways from the house, but with my better than human hearing, I could hear what was being said very clearly. I internally sighed, already knowing what was being discussed.

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><p>"Absolutely not!" Yelled Jacob, focusing his anger on Bella and Carlisle. "Ally will not be made into any more of a vampire than she already is! I forbid it!"<p>

"Jake, please try and see reason." Bella replied, trying her best to remain calm and collected. "She's gonna die if we do nothing."

"Are you sure about the timing, Carlisle?" Nessie asked. She had let go of Jacob and stood a few feet away from her husband. Normally, she could calm him using just a simple touch, but she had no hope of calming him at the moment. This topic was just too volatile.

Carlisle was silent for a few seconds before he answered his granddaughter, but the look on his face told it all. "Yes, she has a year at most. Her body just can't sustain itself anymore. The weight loss is the final indicator. Her shape shifter half just can't survive with her vampire quarter. The internal battle is killing her. The only chance she has is for us to try and turn her human quarter into vampire. If the vampire and shifter parts of her genetic code were even, they could possibly live harmoniously." Carlisle let out a deep sigh. "I've been working on other possible solutions for years now. I'm not even sure if this will work. It may kill her, but it's the only option I can come up with. She's running out of time."

The inhabitants of the house went quiet. This wasn't a new argument, not by a long shot.

After Nessie and Jacob got married, their having a baby became a hot topic. Carlisle wasn't even sure if it was possible for them to procreate, considering that Jacob's shifter DNA evolved in direct response to vampires. The two DNA types weren't exactly compatible. Because of this uncertainty, the day Allyssa was born was proclaimed a miracle. She was born perfect and healthy, with ten toes and ten fingers and everything. Like her mother, she grew rapidly and looked to be a teenager around the age of 8. Mentally, she grew just as fast, acting as a teen well before she reached the age.

Everything was going well until she reached the age of 12, when she shifted for the first time. She was so excited to be a part of her father's pack, that she didn't notice her health failing right way. It started with mild headaches and muscle aches, which were passed off as side effects of shifting. As time progressed, however, the headaches got worse and the muscles pains started to resemble flu like symptoms more and more.

Carlisle did many tests, with no apparent cause for her symptoms. It wasn't until he did a full genetic profile that he found the cause of her problems. It turned out that when her shifter DNA became active, it began to reject the vampire DNA sharing her body. Because it was a more dominant part of the child, the shifter DNA was winning the battle for her body. Unfortunately, Allyssa was what she was. The vampire DNA was just as necessary for her survival as any other part of her. The war between vampire and shifter going on in her body was ripping her apart from the inside out.

They tried increasing her blood intake. It helped ease her suffering, but only slowed her deterioration. It was discussed that human blood might be more effective, but the option was nixed by Jacob automatically. He hated that any part of his daughter was vampire and refused to let her act any more vampire than she already did. Needless to say, when the topic of turning her human quarter into vampire was brought up, Jake went ballistic and, to the surprise of everyone else, so did Edward.

With this, the debate began and continued for years. Jake and Edward refused to let Ally's humanity be destroyed, while Nessie and Bella were desperate to try anything to keep their precious one alive. The rest of the family sided with the girls, but they tried to stay out of it as much as possible. Ultimately, it was up to her parents to decide Allyssa's fate, and they were at a hopeless impasse.

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><p>Ally stood perfectly still, listening to her family's current exchange. Tears slide down her cheeks as she allowed her frustrations to show to the silent forest. Her family's constant bickering about her was running her down mentally almost as fast as her body was running down physically.<p>

"Fuck this!" She quietly said to herself, wiping the tears from her eyes and phasing into her wolf form, not caring that her clothes and her book bag were destroyed. As a wolf, she was large, sleek and jet black from head to toe. Her human form was withering quickly, and even though the deterioration to her wolf was slower, she still looked smaller and skinnier than even a month ago.

Ally pushed her muscles to their limit and arrived at her extended family's home in record time. Here grandparents, great grandparents and aunts and uncles all lived in a huge house about a half a mile from the smaller house where she lived with her parents.

With luck, the house was empty, so Ally was able to shift back to human and throw on some clothes without worrying about running into anyone. In her room, she packed up a few essentials in a carry on sized bag, making sure not to pack anything which might cause problems at an airport. She also packed her license and passport which stated she was 18 years old and some money from the safe in Carlisle's office. She bet her great grandfather had no idea that she knew the combination.

Ally chuckled. She was only 15, but she hadn't looked younger than 19 or 20 since she stopped physically aging around 12. She usually dressed down to make her look young enough to be in high school. Her Uncle Jasper had made her fake identification, just in case she needed to pretend to be older than she really was. At least she had some good luck on her side.

She paused by the full length mirror in her room, looking at her appearance. She once liked the way she looked, having a slender, but muscular build, with long black hair and dark brown eyes. Now a days, however, the reflection wasn't nearly as good. She was a solid 5 foot 6 and use to weigh a reasonable 135 pounds. Now she weighed only 110 and was starting to look too skinny. No matter how much she ate or how much blood she drank, she just couldn't keep the weight on. It was getting to the point where the people at school were starting to notice how unhealthy she looked. The teachers had actually started to talk about the possibility that she might have an eating disorder.

She was, literally, watching herself waste away while her family discussed her situation in a committee. They never even bothered to ask what she wanted. As far as her family knew, the seriousness of her condition was unknown to her. As if she didn't notice all the changes happening to her body. Another tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away angrily.

Grabbing her bag and purse, she marched back downstairs and into the kitchen. She found a piece of paper and a pen and began to write.

She loved her family dearly, but it angered her to think that they couldn't agree to at least try turning her more into a vampire. If it would save her life, wouldn't it be worth it? And if it killed her, would it really matter, since she was dying anyway.

"For god sakes, I live around 8 vampires, you'd think that at least one of them would get fed up with all of it and just bite me already." The tears began to flow again, dropping on the note she was writing. "But no, they don't want to hurt my humanity. Better dead than vampire."

Her father had never said the words, but Ally knew it was what he thought. He had never liked vampires. He only tolerated her mother's family for her sake. Even grandma Bella had lost some of her favor with him after her transformation.

The reason why her grandpa Edward was willing to watch her die, she didn't know. She had once heard them argue about souls and heaven. It all just seemed more complicated than it should have been.

With a final sigh, she placed her completed message to her family on the dining room table. She picked up her bag and headed to the door, grabbing the keys to her Aunt Rose's BMW on the way. She turned and took a last look at the house she often called home, then left the building, locking the door on her way out for the last time.

If they were willing to let her die without at least trying to help, then they didn't deserve to be a part of her last year of life.

To Be Continued...

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><p>I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!<p> 


	2. Gone

Here's chapter two. hope you like. Let me know what you think...and as always, I don't own twilight.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I flew to England, but wasn't stupid enough to stick around. I had to run, but managed to make a second flight with seconds to spare. My final destination was Sydney Australia, but I had several stops to make before I got there. The more untraceable stops the better. My family could only follow me for just so long before they lost the trail. I could only hope they would give up quickly.

I didn't want to be found and would do my best not to be.

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><p><strong>Bella POV<strong>

I was extra pissed off as we ran back to the house.

Our efforts to convince Edward and Jake to let us try and help Ally had ended, once again, in a screaming match between me and Jake. Carlisle had tried to reason with him, but with Edward in Jake's corner, we had little hope of success. I love those two men more than any other men in the world, but they were just being so damn difficult.

I knew they loved Allyssa as much as the rest of us, but they had a funny way of showing it. It didn't seem very loving, just letting her die without even trying the treatment Carlisle proposed. Edward was being a fucking butthead and I made sure to tell him as much, as often as I could.

It was well past nightfall when we finally arrived back at our house. We had left Nessie and Jake arguing at their home. I could only hope that our daughter could get through to her husband before It was too late.

The house was dark when we arrived, which was a bit concerning, considering we had all figured Ally would be there. She hadn't gone to her parent's house after school, but that wasn't unusual. She usually spent most of her time at our house. She bonded particularly closely with her Aunts and Uncles.

"I wonder where Ally is?" Edward asked, walking up to the front door first. "The door is locked, so she was definitely here." Our granddaughter was the only member of the family that bothered to lock the door. We walked into the house and confirmed by smell that she had been there only hours beforehand. Before we could inquire further, we heard a gasp from Esme, who was in the kitchen.

Esme stood by the center island, her hand over her mouth. Her eyes looked near tears, if tears were possible. She held out a note to Carlisle. He took it, read it quickly, then read it aloud.

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><p>My Dear Family,<p>

I'm sorry to do this by a letter, but I can't stand the fighting anymore. Yes, I know about the fighting and the reason for it. I know I'm dying and have little time left. I also know that Grandpa Carlisle has a possible treatment and that Grandpa Edward and Dad refuse to let him try it. I don't understand why. More importantly, I don't understand why not a single person felt I was old enough to know any of this or to even give me a chance to decide my own fate. I think that's the part that hurts the most, that you didn't think I could make a choice for myself. I'm not a child and none of you have treated me as one since my age hit the double digits.

I'm leaving. Please don't try and find me. If you don't love me enough to try and save me, then you don't love me enough to watch me die. I will love you all until my dying breath and beyond.

Allyssa

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><p>"She must have heard us talking, not just today, but over the last several months." Carlisle added, looking worried.<p>

"We can track her down." Edward stated confidently, running up the stairs. I followed close behind. He followed her scent into her room, then into Carlisle's study.

"She took her passport and some money from Carlisle's safe. We can track her through the airports." Edward concluded.

I nodded in agreement. I silently hoped we'd find her quickly. Once her feelings were taken into account, Jake and Edward would have no choice but to change their minds and let us try and help her.

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><p>We lost her trail somewhere in Greece and were unable to find it again...<p>

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	3. The End of a Life

Welcome to chapter 3! I hope you enjoy your stay. I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this story, but oh well, it's fun to write anyway. Hope you like. Let me know if you have any ideas to add. I'm open to suggestion on this one. As always, I don't own Twilight!

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I managed to successfully run away from a family of vampires. The process took several airplane flights, a couple of bus rides, some running, a very long cab ride and ended with me smuggling myself onto a flight to Sydney. Nearly a month later, I was free and on my own.

The first 8 months were amazing. I mainly traveled around by night in my wolf form, only becoming human when I found something of interest. I was still losing weight and getting weaker, but as a wolf, it seemed to happen much slower. I missed my family, but tried to focus my attention on what I was doing and seeing. It really was an incredible way to close out a life.

Somewhere in the beginning of the 9th month on my own, I began to have problems. I was in almost constant pain and soon found it difficult to get up in the mornings, let alone hunting for blood. Using what was left of my strength, I managed to drag myself to a small town. The locals found me relatively quickly and I found myself at the local doctor's office. The Doc was all set to start running tests, but I declined any help. I had planned for this. I told him I had terminal cancer and that all I wanted was to die in peace.

They moved me to a hospital and pumped me full of pain meds. The drugs, of course, did nothing for my pain at the levels they were administering, but I did my best to act as they did.

I could feel my life ending. I slept more and more, which was a blessing, since my waking moments were riddled with agony. It was during one of my final waking moments that he arrived.

He was a vampire. Even in the state I was in, I could tell. The nurse left us alone and he removed his sunglasses to reveal his blood red eyes. He sat beside my bed, placing his hand on mine. I was expecting a cold touch, but found that his hand was neither cold nor warm.

Just further evidence that my time was short.

He looked at me with confusion and concern.

"Why are you dying, little one?" He asked, his hand gently stroking mine. His voice was musical, but soft with concern. "You are part vampire, are you not?"

I was almost beyond speech, but took a deep breath and did my best. "Shifter... and... vamp... don't... mix."

The vampire raised my hand to his nose and inhaled deeply. "Ah, yes, I do smell wolf in you." He gently placed my hand back on the bed, but kept his over it. "Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

I really didn't know what to think. Here was a vampire I didn't know, offering his assistance. I honestly didn't know if a vampire bite would help me or killed me, but at this point, there really was nothing to lose. I was about to die anyway.

"Bite." I whispered, weakly.

He nodded, looking over his shoulder to make sure we were alone. He then lifted me out of bed and he jumped out of the window and into the night...

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><p>Well, what do ya think? I've got the next few chapters already written, it's just a matter of getting them spell checked and revised. I hope to get another chapter up in the next day or so. In the meantime, let me know what you think...<p> 


	4. A Twist of Fate

Chapter 4 is up! See, I'm not a complete slacker! Anyway, hope you like, I don't own twilight...

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

I had no idea why I was wandering around Australia.

It was very unlike me to do anything on a whim, but for some reason, this felt important. When I shared my peculiar longing with Aro, he agreed that I should go where I felt compelled to go. After over 3000 years, we had seen too many unusual things not to follow our instincts.

When I arrived in Australia, I once again felt a nagging need to travel in a particular direction. It felt good to be traveling on my own. It was so rare that any of us brothers got an opportunity to go off alone, that I was planning on savoring the time I had. For the first time in a very long time, I felt alive.

After a day of travel by foot, the need I felt to travel stopped at a small town near the southern coast of the country. For some reason, the fates decided that I needed to be here, so I explored the area.

There really was nothing miraculous about this place. Just another small town full of ordinary humans. Tasty feeding, perhaps, since small town people usually had purer, sweeter blood, but nothing interesting enough to warrant traveling across the world for.

I didn't plan on sticking around, but then I caught a scent I could not ignore. It was the smell of another vampire, though it did not smell like pure vampire. A human/vampire hybrid, perhaps, though that description did not fit quite right either.

I followed the scent to a small hospital. Making sure to wear the sunglasses I carried, so as not to alarm the natives, I explored the hospital until I found the source of the scent. It still amazes me how easy it is to mingle around humans undisturbed, even in a place where strangers are normally accompanied by a nurse or doctor.

The scent was coming from a hall in the hospital that reeked of death. This was a place where humans came to die. Seemed to me an unusual place to find a vampire, since most vampires prefer healthy blood. Even the strongest human was no match for a vampire, so we have no need to hunt the sick or weak.

I followed the smell to a small room containing a very thin, sickly young female. The nurse in the room spotted me and asked if I knew the girl. I told her that I did and she left me alone with her. Humans were just so trusting. It really was sad.

I sat next to the girl, who looked to be nineteen, maybe twenty years of age, though it was difficult to tell her exact age in the state she was in. She was shockingly underweight, and was sickly pale. None of this mattered to me, though. The only thing that mattered was the bond I felt between her and myself. It was obvious that she was the reason I felt compelled to come to this tiny little hospital. The bond was stronger than any I had felt in my very long life, it was strong enough to literally guide me to her.

I took the girl's hand and was happy to see she responded to my touch. She looked at me with dark chocolate colored eyes.

"Why are you dying, little one?" I asked "You are part vampire, are you not?"

The girl seemed to be struggling to find the strength to speak. "Shifter... and... vamp... don't... mix."

Shifter and vampire? I had never heard of a vampire impregnating a shape shifter before. They were, more often than not, moral enemies. That would explain why she smelled so peculiar. I raised her hand to my nose and inhaled deeply. "Ah, yes, I do smell wolf in you." The funny part was that the smell didn't bother me. The dog like smell was there, but it wasn't offensive. Not like the smell of most werewolves.

I couldn't just let her die here, though I wasn't sure if there was anything I could do to save her. The reasons behind her illness were unknown to me and there wasn't time to research them before her demise. I could tell she only had hours left.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

She lay quiet for a few moments. I could see the wheels turning in her brain. She was probably deciding whether or not to trust me or if it even matter at this point.

"Bite." she finally whispered, weakly.

I nodded, understanding what she wanted me to do. I looked over my shoulder to make sure we were alone. I then lifted her out of the bed and jumped out the window. It was well past midnight, so there was no one around to witness my kidnapping. Once outside the town, I bite the girl on the neck, lingering for a few seconds to allow a fair amount of my venom to enter her bloodstream. The girl did not scream or struggle.

I headed towards a large city I had passed through on the way here, where I would rent a hotel suite to pass by the sunny day to come.

I prayed I was not too late and the girl would make it through the night.

To Be Continued...

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><p>Woo Hoo, Marcus makes himself know...he'll be in the story more from now on. Hope you are enjoying...<p> 


	5. The Beginning of a New Life

On to chapter 5. How you like. As always, I don't own twilight...

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I don't remember much of what happened after we jumped out the window.

I remember the bite and I remember going through a second window, but after that, all I could recall was pain. It wasn't beyond my ability to cope, but it was still all encompassing. I have no idea how long I lay there, opening my eyes only once in awhile. Each time, I saw the mysterious vampire, watching me with great interest and concern.

After an unknown amount of time, the pain stopped. I still felt weak, but my mind was clear and I was in no pain. Even the pain I had lived with for months was gone. My heart was still beating, but it wasn't pounding as before, it was now slow and steady. I opened my eyes to once again see the strange vampire watching me. This time, however, he had a small smile on his face. As my vision cleared, I confirmed that I didn't know him, but he did seem slightly familiar somehow, like I'd seen him before in passing.

"You finally wake." He moved to sit beside my bed, taking my hand. He felt cool to the touch. The sensation made me smile. "For a while, I did not know if you would survive my bite. I am pleased that you have. How do you feel?"

I took a moment to move my limbs experimentally. Everything seemed to be in working order. "Weak, but very much alive, it would seem." I tried to sit up, but found that my arms could not lift my weight. The vampire assisted me, so I was propped up against the wall at the head of the bed.

He placed his hand over my heart for a fleeting second, then returned it to my hand. "Your heart beats very strong. I believe you will live. I have many questions, but I think you may need some attending to before I ask them. I have ordered food for you."

As if on queue, there was a knock on the door. The vampire put on a pair of sunglasses from the nearby table and went to open the door. While he was gone, I took a moment to look around the room. We were obviously in a hotel room. A high end one, by the looks of it, since the bedroom was a separate room from where the door was located. I could not see where the vampire went.

I lifted my arms, finding I could move them easily. They were weak, but movable. I looked down at myself and saw that I was still extremely emaciated. The vampire venom obviously didn't transform my figure much. My skin was a few shades lighter, but I couldn't tell if that was from the venom, or merely from my sickly state. I looked up as the vampire came back into the room, carrying a breakfast tray. He placed it in front of me.

"I wasn't sure what to order you, but figured since you are part wolf, that steak would be the most appetizing. I cut it for you, since I did not know if you were strong enough to do it yourself."

My stomach replied to him by growling fiercely at the smell of the food. I laughed, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. For his part, the vampire also chuckled, taking his seat across the room again.

I took a bite of the steak, finding that it was probably the most heavenly thing I'd ever tasted. I ate quickly under the watchful gaze of the vampire. I probably didn't use my best manners, but I was just too hungry to care. Once I was finished, I turned to my new friend, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He replied, getting up from his seat to remove the tray. He then sat in the chair next to the bed. "Do you feel better? Your color has improved."

I once again moved my limbs and found that they did indeed feel stronger. "Much better."

The vampire folded his hands in his lap and leaned back in his chair. "Excellent! Then maybe you feel up to answering a few questions."

"Of course, but can I ask one tiny question first?"

The vampire smiled, nodding his head.

I smiled back at him. "What's your name?"

"I have been rude, haven't I? Here I am, getting ready to ask you several personal questions and I haven't even had the decency to introduce myself. My name is Marcus." He said, taking a slight bow in his seat. His shoulder length dark brown hair fell around his face with the gesture. He looked to be in his thirties, but he had a way about him that implied that he was much, much older than he looked.

I smiled, happy to have a name. Calling him 'the vampire' in my head was starting to get old. "I'm Ally...well...Allyssa, but everyone calls me Ally."

"It's nice to finally make your acquaintance, Allyssa. I'm afraid my watching over you for the last couple of days has made me lose my manners. It just feels like I've known you for much longer than three days."

"Three days?" I asked, astonished. Had it really been that long?

"Indeed. The exact time it takes vampire venom to turn a human. Though, you obviously are not vampire. At least not fully. This brings me to my first question. How is it that one such as you, who is part vampire and part shapeshifter, found yourself in the state which you were in when I discovered you? Both species tend to be rather immortal, or so I thought."

"I'm not half and half...or I wasn't half and half. My father is a shifter and my mother is half vampire, half human. I am, or a guess I was, one fourth human. My great grandfather said I was sick because my vampire quarter wasn't strong enough. My shifter half couldn't live with my weaker vampire quarter, so my body was literally killing itself. He had a theory that if my human part was turned to vampire, making me half and half, that I'd be able to survive." I looked down at my hands. "Apparently, he was right."

"If you're family had a theory on how to save your life, why did they not try it themselves? Some of your family had to be full vampire. Why were they not with you at the hospital?"

I grimaced, looking down at my lap. The memory was still painful, even after all these months. "Some of my family members, mainly my father, didn't want to destroy my humanity and my great grandfather won't go against my father's wishes. Even to save my life. I didn't want to just sit around waiting to die while they discussed possible treatments, so I ran away. I couldn't take the arguing anymore. I figured it was better to die alone, then around all that."

Marcus was silent for a few minutes, lost in thought.

I cleared my throat. "Something wrong?" I asked. "You've gone quiet on me."

After a few more seconds, he looked up at me. "Hmm, I was just thinking. Your great grandfather sounds very much like someone I know. In fact, I'm fairly certain I know your entire family. You're a Cullen, aren't you?"

I was surprised. I had told him so little of my family, yet he seemed to know them.

"You know my family?"

"I have met most of your family, but I know Carlisle quite well. He lived with my coven for a few decades."

It was then that it hit me. I remembered where I'd seen this man before. He was one of the men I had seen in the giant painting hanging on Grandpa Carlisle's study wall. He was a Volturi.

"You're Volturi." I stated. "I've seen a painting of you and your brothers."

"And you, my dear little one, must be the daughter of Edward and Isabella's child. It would appear that she married one of the werewolves your family befriended so many years ago. It would explain your unusual genetic mix. This is most interesting."

I had to agree.

"Why are you in Australia, if you don't mind me asking?" It seemed very strange that one of the Volturi brothers just happened to be in the same very small town I happened to find myself in.

"I honestly can not say." He replied, still deep in thought. "About two weeks ago, I simply felt compelled to travel. I went all over, but eventually found myself here. I was traveling around Australia fairly aimlessly when I came across this town and smelled someone with a vampire lineage at that small hospital and found you."

It sounded completely untrue, but for some reason, I believed him. I just knew he was telling the truth.

No, it was more than that. I was positive he was telling the truth. There wasn't a doubt in my mind, which seemed odd, considering I just met this man. This whole situation was just getting more interesting by the minute.

"I now ask you the same question, why are you in Australia?"

I sighed. "I always wanted to see it. Seemed as good a place as any to die. And it was far away from home."

"So, I'm guessing, now that you're going to live, you are eager to return to your family." Marcus stated. Was it just me, or did he sound disappointed. Sad even.

I thought about it for a minute. Did I want to go back to my family. I still loved them. I knew that for sure, but I didn't feel ready. I was still a shell of my former self and I was certainly not strong enough to venture anywhere alone.

"I suppose." I replied, un-enthusiastically.

"If I may offer you another option." Marcus took my hand in his again. "You can return to Italy with me. You would be most welcome there. Besides, at this moment, you are in little shape to be going anywhere without assistance. I am offering that assistance to you. You may return to your family when you are once again strong and thinking clearly."

It was a tempting offer. I wasn't ready to face my family. I was still angry. And it was true, I was in no condition to be on my own. Besides, I found myself not wanting to go back. I wanted to learn who I was now, on my own terms. On the other hand, I had been told about the Volturi by many members of my family. They weren't painted in the best light.

"There is no need to decide now, little one. We will stay here for a few more days, until you are strong enough to move under your own power. Then, I will take you where you wish to go."

Marcus helped me return to a laying position and turned to leave the room. "Get some rest. I need to find myself some dinner. I'll be back before you can miss me."

"Wait." I stopped him before he could dart away. "Do you think you might be able to bring me back some?"

He smiled at me. "I certainly can. We have already fed the wolf in you, it is only logical to feed the vampire as well. I will return with something for you. Do you mind eating human blood, or would you like me to bring you animal blood?"

"Human is fine."

And with that, he slipped out of the bedroom and I could hear him leave the room entirely.

It took me a few minutes to realize what just happened. Did I just ask Marcus to bring me back some human blood?

To Be Continued...

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><p>Hope you like. Let me know what you think so far. Still have zero direction for this story, but I hope to have one someday. Thanks for reading.<p> 


	6. A New Friend

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I ended up editing all of the previous chapters too. I just wanted to make things flow better. It seems like I'm always apologizing for delays around here. Anyway, Let me know what you think. I don't own twilight, as always.

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

Considering the lineage of my new companion, I was surprised she asked for human blood. I even offered to bring her animal blood, but she still asked for human. I found the revelation exciting.

This girl and I had a bond I wanted to explore further. This would be easier if she decided to remain with the Volturi, rather than return to the Cullens. It was encouraging that she was interested in the traditional vampire diet, even when offered the less appealing option she was raised with. It was also encouraging that she didn't seem to fear me. She knew who I was and where I came from. Her family had obviously told her about us, but yet she exhibited no signs of fear or dislike.

I stopped at a convenience store to get a thermos. I didn't think she was ready to try and drink directly from her prey, either physically or mentally. It was almost too much like forcing my lifestyle on her. She had the right to decide for herself how she wanted to live. When she was ready to hunt and kill, it would be her decision to make and, with any luck, I would be there to help her learn.

I fed myself before starting my search for an appropriate target for Allyssa. I wanted her first taste of human blood to be pure, not tainted with alcohol, drugs or any other toxins the humans were stupid enough to introduce willingly into their bodies.

I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the hunt. Hunting for my food was another rarity for me. Usually I just picked from the tourists brought to us. There really was nothing like going out and hunting for yourself. I'd have to do it more often when I returned.

It didn't take me long to find a lone female jogger out in the middle of nowhere. Who would go out jogging at 10:00 at night, alone. Humans really are rather stupid. After killing the girl quietly and swiftly, I sampled her blood. It was perfect.

I filled the thermos, drained the rest myself, and hurried off. I didn't want to leave Allyssa alone for very long. She had been suffering alone for long enough.

Ten minutes later I returned to the hotel room to find Allyssa sound asleep. I didn't want to wake her, but blood doesn't store well. Besides, it's better when it's fresh. I sat lightly on the bed beside her and ran my hand down her cheek. She stirred, then opened her eyes.

"You're back. Have a nice dinner?" She asked, smiling up at me. It was a beautiful smile.

"Very nice, thank you. I brought you back some, if you'd like to have a taste. It's better the fresher it is, as I'm sure you're aware."

Ally sat up, managing to prop herself up on her own this time. I poured the blood into a glass and handed it to her. She smelled it experimentally, then took a sip.

"Hmm, interesting. It's pretty good." She said, taking a larger drink.

"Have you ever had human blood before?" I sat in the chair across the room as she drank, watching her with interest.

"No. Carlisle suggested human blood might have slowed my condition, but you can imagine how my father responded to that idea." She finished her glass and handed it back to me. "My father did everything in his power to make me as un-vampire like as possible. The only reason he didn't complain about me drinking animal blood was because my mom had to drink it too."

"So, you were raised on animal blood. Why then do you so enthusiastically ask for human blood now?"

Ally looked down at her hands for a moment, then back up at me, as if she was doing something embarrassing or wrong. "Its nature. I mean, you don't hear people calling lions monsters because they kill a zebra. It's just how things are. Everything has to eat something else. I don't see what's so wrong about vampires eating what they were meant to eat." She chuckled to herself. "Of course, I've never killed someone for their blood before, so I really can't judge one way or the other. I do have to say, though, human blood is much more tasty than animal blood."

I laughed out loud at her comment. I hadn't laughed like that for a long time. This seemed to make her smile even wider at me.

"True, very true, little one. I have been a vampire for over 3000 years and not one of those years was spent drinking animal blood. Human blood makes you stronger, more alert. You can just feel it was what we are meant to eat. You have done nothing wrong by wanting to try it."

Ally's eyes widened. "You're over 3000 years old!"

"Indeed. I've been around for a very long time." I paused for a moment, wondering if I should ask. "I know it's considered rude to ask a woman her age, but I'm curious, how old are you?"

This question made Ally blush and look down at her hands again.

"I'll be 16 in a week and a half."

"Just a young one, aren't you." I crossed the room and tilted her head back up so I could see her eyes. "There is nothing wrong with being young. Everyone has to start somewhere. Besides, you speak and act older than you are. You have lived more life than most people your age."

"Thanks." she replied, meeting my eyes and holding them.

"Anyway, my little one, you should go back to sleep. You need rest to allow the blood you just drank to help restore you. I will not leave the room, I promise."

She nodded, snuggling back down into the bed. It only took moments for her to fall back asleep.

She was much too young to have gone through so much. She deserved to have a home like Voltera, where she could be whatever kind of person she wished to be. Where she could explore her new vampire nature without being told it was a bad thing.

Over the next few days, I was going to do my best to convince her of this...

To Be Continued...

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><p>There ya go. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I've written over 20 chapters to this story, but the others are not yet ready to post. If I get favorable comments, I might be more motivated to update. I'm just saying. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	7. What to do

Woo hoo! Two chapters in a row. I'm on a roll now. Don't own Twilight...duh.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at my appearance. My new appearance.

It had been two weeks since Marcus saved my life and I was already starting to look like myself again. My body weight had finally broke 100 pounds and I was starting to get my lean shifter muscle back. My skin was still a few shades paler than it use to be, but I was alright with it. It matched my new hair color nicely. Sometime during my transformation, my black hair had faded to pure, snow white. The only black left was in the front. My eyes were no longer chocolate brown, but more of a dark orange color. They got more and more red with each human blood feeding. Marcus thinks they'll turn true red like a full vampire with time.

Oddly enough, all these changes didn't bother me.

I was enjoying my new life. Marcus taught me about what a true vampire was like. I never realized how limited my vampire education was until someone came along who wasn't afraid to tell me too much. He described his home, Voltera, in vivid detail, making me want to see it for myself. With each passing day, the appeal of returning to my family got less and less. This scared me a little.

I was still looking in the mirror when Marcus walked in and stood behind me. He had been amazing during my recovery. Everyday, he asked me if I wanted human or animal blood. After the fourth time, I finally told him I would always want human. At least until I got strong enough to hunt for myself. I wasn't sure if I had it in me to kill a person myself, but I decided to hold that decision for another day. It would be months before I was faced with that bridge.

I turned to him and smiled.

"How are you feeling, Little One?" He asked. He had taken to calling me Little One. I liked the nickname.

"Great." I turned back to the mirror. "I was just admiring the new me."

Marcus took a step closer to me. "I didn't get a chance to get to know the old you, but I have to say, I rather like the new you."

I smiled at myself in the mirror. "I like the new me too." I passed Marcus as I left the bathroom, taking his hand for just a moment, squeezing it gently, then released it. "It will take some getting use to, though. This isn't exactly a hair color I ever imagined I'd have, but I like it."

"I'm happy you are adjusting. Unfortunately, you must now decide where you'd like to go from here. You have quite a bit of recovering to do still, but you are strong enough to travel and we have lingered here for long enough. Even large cities will eventually begin to notice a jump in human disappearances and killings."

I nodded. I'd procrastinated this decision for as long as I could.

Marcus had never pressured me on it, merely reminded me that I would eventually need to choose a place to go next. He even offered up alternatives to both his home and mine, saying he'd take me anywhere I wished to go. It was tempting to just walk away from all of it and see the world, but I wasn't ready yet. I had plenty of time. Physically, I was still underweight and considerably weaker than I was comfortable with. I didn't like the feeling of being too weak to defend myself. Like it or not, I needed assistance and a quiet place to rest. My two options were either go home to my family or spend some time with his.

I sat down the the sofa, curling my legs under me. "I've been thinking about it and I think I want to go home with you. That is, if you're still OK with it."

Marcus sat beside me. "Of course! I'm very pleased you've decided to accompany me back to Voltera."

"It's just that I've been healing so well on the human blood and I really don't want to deal with my family's reaction to it. Also, you're home sounds like a beautiful place to see." I began to blush again. "I've also become rather fond of you. I've enjoyed having you around. I really hope I haven't been any trouble."

Marcus took my hands in his, turning me so I was facing him. "The fates have brought us together. I believe I was drawn to this place solely to find and save you. My venom helped make you as you now are. You are family to me, now and for always."

A few tears slipped down my cheeks. He was being honest with his sincerity.

I had discovered a few days into my new life that I had developed a vampire power during my transformation. I could tell if someone was lying to me. I can't say how I knew, but I can just feel it. Marcus found this fascinating. He spent two full days trying to stump me, but I could always tell the lie from the truth. Even partial lies didn't slip through.

"What's wrong, my Little One?"

I wiped the tears any and cleared my voice. "You're being sappy and I cry easily."

He laughed at my comment and I couldn't help but laugh too.

"So I guess, next stop Italy."

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><p><strong>Aro POV<strong>

I was feeling almost giddy.

Marcus had called to let me know he was returning and that he wasn't returning alone. He was bringing home the youngest member for the Cullen Coven and with all likelihood, she would be staying with us for the foreseeable future. And if the bond Marcus saw with her was as strong as he claimed, she would ultimately become a permanent addition to our coven and an extremely strong link to the second most powerful coven in the world.

I hated to admit it, but Carlisle's coven was becoming a real concern to me. He always said he didn't desire power, just peace. The fact that his coven had grown to become the second largest in the world was merely coincidence.

I believed my old friend. Carlisle never did have the heart for violence and power, but still, to have a familial link between his coven and mine could be nothing but good for us.

Carlisle was always willing to do whatever it took to protect his family and keep the peace...

To Be Continued...

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><p>There ya go. Hope you liked the chapter. Thanks so much to those of you who are reading. I really enjoy hearing what you think. I like knowing that people are reading and liking my efforts. You are all wonderful people. Hugs and Kisses.<p> 


	8. A new Family

Chapter 8 is up...woo hoo! Hope you are enjoying reading this one as much as I'm enjoying writing it. As always, I don't own Twilight...And on with the show.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

Five years later...

Jane and I walked slowly down the hallway which lead to the brother's main audience chamber. It was a beautiful cloudy day and she and I had been out shopping when Aro summoned us for a mission.

"You should have seen him, Al." Jane said excitedly, waving her arms around as she danced along. "He was reduced to a crying, immobile lump!"

I placed my hands on her shoulders, turning her to face me. "I love you dearly, Jay, but you really do enjoy your work too much. I worry about you sometimes." I joked.

She swatted me away playfully. "You're just jealous you weren't there to see it."

I laughed out loud and she joined me. "Maybe a little." I confessed. I linked arms with her and we continued our stroll. I went on missions occasionally, but I was still considered more a powerful new pet to Aro than a member of the guard. He rarely put me into danger if he could help it. I had a feeling that Marcus also had a hand in my inactivity, I just never got around to asking him directly. I really didn't mind. I loved my life here.

The first two months after my arrival were a bit tense. Most of the guard didn't like sharing their home with a shifter, even if I was half vampire.

The first month was spent in my chambers, recovering fully from my ordeal. The only people I saw on any regular basis were Marcus, Aro, Aro's wife Sulpicia and Caius's wife Athenodora. They were all fascinated by the events of my short life. Aro, particularly, was interested in my gift to see lies and my connection with Carlisle.

During my second month, I had regained my original body weight, gaining an additional few pounds of muscle. Feeling good for the first time in years, I took to wandering around not just the Volturi's complex, but also the city surrounding it. When it was cloudy or nighttime, Marcus would accompany me, showing me the various sights. The wives liked to take me shopping and Aro enjoyed simply talking with me about what I knew about the world. He told me he wanted to know where the gaps in my knowledge were, so he could decide where to begin my education. He said that every vampire needed to be well educated on more than just what was taught at a human school.

Caius didn't like me at all, but with prodding from his wife, he took the time to talk with me a bit. One of those times resulted in his discovery that I not only had a curiosity for languages, but also a talent for them. He took it upon himself to start teaching me different languages, starting with Italian of course.

I didn't get to mingle with the guard much, with each member of the Volturi leadership spending time teaching me about art, science, literature, languages and many other subjects. It was almost like I was at a messed up finishing school run by some of the most powerful vampires in the world.

During all of this, Jane and Alec kept a very close eye on me. They were both fiercely loyal to Aro and really didn't know if I would be a danger to him or not. One faithful day I ran into Jane alone in the hallway. She managed to get her powers on me for a few seconds before Alec stopped her. They hurt like hell, but after they stopped, I found the power rush exhilarating. I told Jane this and from that moment on, Jane and I were inseparable. I found her wicked directness refreshing and she discovered that shifters weren't nearly as bad as she thought we were.

We made it to the chambers, where all three brothers were waiting for us.

"Ah, there you are." Aro commented. "Jane, I have something you must do."

Marcus stood from his seat, removing his robe. He approached me, took me by the hand and led me out of the chamber. "Let us walk, Allyssa. We have much to discuss."

"Um, Alright." I replied, confused. It wasn't like Marcus to leave the chamber while Aro was in the middle of sending the guard out.

Marcus led me out a side door into the vast garden. I always loved going out here. It was quiet and peaceful. This was my thinking spot. We walked along in silence for several minutes.

"Will you go hunting with me this evening? Aro wishes you to go with the guard tonight, but there will be time for a pre-flight hunt."

I had starting hunting for my own blood about 2 years after I arrived in Italy. I wasn't sure if I was capable of killing a human, but I wanted to try, just to be sure. Marcus took me out. He taught me how pick a good spot to ambush a person and the easiest way to incapacitate one, since I lacked the paralyzing venom normally used by a vampire to immobilize prey. The first couple of tries were a bit awkward, but after I got a hang of it, I found hunting easy and rewarding. I didn't feel the remorse for taking a life that I thought I would. I actually felt worse for taking the life of an animal.

"Sure, we can hunt, but you didn't drag me away from Aro's instructions just to ask me that."

"No, I have another reason." He sat on a bench at the farthest point of the garden and I sat next to him. "I have something I wish to ask you. That night when I found you, I told you that fate led me to you. This is true, but the reason I did all I could to help you is because I saw a bond between us. A strong bond the likes of which I have never seen. I have done my best to be patient as you discovered yourself. I did not want to influence any decision you made. I was afraid you may someday accuse me of pushing you in the direction I wanted for my own selfish reasons." He took my hands and held them gently. "You have been here for 5 years now and have made a home for yourself. You are a part of the Volturi. I now feel comfortable that you made your decision based on your own wishes." He paused and looked down at our hands. "My love for you is deeper than that of a friend or surrogate father." He looked up into my eyes. "I wish for you to agree to be my wife."

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open.

"You're asking me to marry you?"

Marcus smiled at me. "I'm asking your permission to court you, with the intention of one day marrying you."

I was dumbfounded. This explained the shift in Marcus's actions over the last month. He touched me more, took my hand when we walked, kissed me on the cheek or forehead upon parting. It was subtle, but noticeable. I hadn't thought much of it, at the time, since we have always been very close.

"Wow, I'm not sure what to say. I mean, if I told you I'd never thought of you like that, I'd be lying."

"I know." He ran his hand down my cheek, causing my heart to flutter faster than normal. "I rather enjoy how your heart reacts to my touch."

I shivered in response and it had nothing to do with the temperature of his skin.

"There is no need to answer me right now. Think it over. Make the right choice for you. Whatever you decide, I will always be here for you. But I do wonder about something." He leaned in close to me and kissed me gently on the lips. It only lasted a few seconds, but my heart pounded in my ears, as if I had just sprinted a few miles. It was embarrassing. Marcus chuckled. "Ah, a successful experiment."

I could feel the blush rise on my face. I didn't need a mirror to know I was grinning like a idiot. Stupid heart.

We sat quietly, waiting for my heart to slow down. My mind was reeling.

"We should go back inside. It's almost dark and we'll need to leave soon to hunt, so you can make your flight."

I let Marcus guide me back inside while I did my best not to hyperventilate. It only took a few minutes for my life to become far more interesting.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p>

Hope you like, let me know.


	9. Nosey Vampires

The next chapter is finally up. It's been written for a while, but I just never got a chance to post anything until now. I don't own, as alway. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Jane POV<strong>

I watched as Marcus and Ally left the room. It was unusual for Marcus to leave right before Aro announced a new mission. But then again, Marcus had changed so much since Ally had joined us. He was more alive. He acted more interested in the world around him and interacted more with everyone. He now lived, rather than just simply existing. He was actually happy.

"Not to worry, Jane my dear." Aro reassured, obviously reading the concern in my face. "They will return shortly. They have a tiny matter to discuss."

"Of course." I turned my attention to my master. Al would tell me everything anyway. She always did.

"There is a baby vampire in Georgia who seems to have become inspired to start a newborn army. He is attracting a great deal of attention and the humans are starting to notice. Please take a group out and eliminate them. Take Allyssa with you as well. You know how much she likes a good newborn hunt. She will be thrilled. Besides, I believe she will need a few days away to consider things."

Consider things? What did she have to consider? Hmm, interesting. I knew Aro wouldn't go into detail. If he wanted me to know right now, he'd tell me.

"This should be a very easy assignment, but take your time." Aro continued. "Enjoy yourselves. Marcus is taking Allyssa hunting. Once she returns, you may leave."

"Yes master." I bowed, then left the room.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I went on a quick hunt with Marcus, then made my way to the airfield where Jane and the others were waiting for me to arrive. I remember the hunt, but my mind wasn't fully in it. I was obviously distracted when I arrived at the plane and Jane noticed immediately. Of course she was waiting outside for me.

"So, Al, I hear you have things to consider."

"What?" I asked Jane, pausing by the ramp of the plane.

"Aro said to take our time doing the mission, because you have things to consider."

I sighed. It figured. You can't keep secrets in a house full of vampires. "We'll talk on the plane." I walked past her and up the ramp. "So, where are we going? What's the mission?"

Jane followed me obediently. "Final destination, Atlanta Georgia. Got some idiot newborn making an army to try and gain power. Should be an easy fight."

I smiled. "Excellent! I haven't ripped apart a newborn in months." I took a seat, noticing that Felix, Demetri and Alec were already aboard.

"Stop stalling, what's going on?" Jane continued, taking the seat next to me.

Alec looked over at me from across the plane, deciding he needed to get in on the nagging Jane had started. "What ya stalling?"

I sighed audibly again. Great, now I had both of them on me. I loved them both dearly, but together they were a force to be reckoned with and I wasn't talking about their powers.

"Fine." I huffed. "If you must know, Marcus just asked me to marry him."

The plane was quiet for a few minutes. The news must have been a surprise to all of them.

"Wow, so that's why he pulled you aside before you left to hunt." Jane reasoned. "What did you say?"

"I'm thinking about it. It wasn't really a proposal, per say, he kinda asked me permission to started courting me, with the purpose of someday marrying me. I'm still trying to process it. I'll work on the deciding part once the shock wears off." I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes.

"You should say yes." Demetri said, taking the seat behind me. "Marcus has been like a brand new vampire since he met you. He actually acts alive and seems extremely happy."

Alec laughed. "Besides, your feelings towards him are obvious. For the last month, everytime he touches you, your heart just about jumps out of your ribcage. You don't even have to be in the same room as you to hear it."

"Stupid fucking heart." I mumbled. "Sometimes it really does suck being an air breather."

"The only bad thing about you marrying Marcus would be you not tagging along on missions." Felix commented. "Which means that we won't get to see you naked nearly as often."

I had no issues being naked around people I trust. Everyone on the plane had seen me naked at least once over the years. One of the guys was always happy to loan me a cloak until I could get back to where I ditched my clothes. It was just part of being a shifter.

I laughed at the comment. "You do realized, Felix, that if I marry Marcus, he might get upset if I go flaunting my nakedness around other people."

Felix shrugged his shoulders. "It would be worth it. You look good naked."

Everyone snickered. "OK, OK, enough about my nakedness. Can we just drop this topic, please." I got up from my seat and headed to the small room at the back of the plane that was set up as a bedroom. Aro had set it up for me so I could sleep during long flights. "I'm gonna get a few hours of shut eye."

"You want me to black out your senses to help you fall asleep?" Alec asked. His power was perfect to disorient opponents, but it also worked really well as a sleep aid. It was like being in a sensory deprivation tank.

"Yes, please. You might want to hold it for at least an hour. I have a feeling I might have trouble falling asleep tonight. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

Alec nodded as I entered the back room. I removed my shoes and crawled into the king size bed. It took a few minutes to get comfortable.

"OK, Alec, hit me."

The lights went out and I relaxed into the nothingness.

To Be Continued...

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><p>Hope you like, let me know what you think. Things will get more interesting in the next chapter.<p> 


	10. Unexpected Surprise

Thank you so much to everyone reading. I've gotten a better response to this one than I thought I would. Hope you continue to enjoy. On to chapter 10

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I slept through the entire flight, only waking up when we landed to refuel. By the time we made it to Atlanta, I was fully awake, alert and ready to fight. I really needed a good distraction.

Unfortunately, I didn't get one.

The vampire army we were sent to eliminate turned out to be only two guys. The army managed to kill itself out by the time we arrived. We took out the remaining newborns and burned all the pre-torn pieces. It took a total of 15 minutes. The whole event was really depressing. I didn't even get to phase.

"Well, that was seriously anticlimactic." Felix bitched, leaning against a nearby tree as he watched the purple smoke rise. "It wasn't even fun."

I was laying on the ground, with my eyes closed and my hands resting over my stomach, deep in thought. I stayed like that for what could have been hours, but I'm sure was only a matter for 15-20 minutes. I remained perfectly still until I felt someone start tapping my forehead very lightly with a fingertip.

"You gonna lay there all night, or do you want to do something?"

I opened my eyes to see Alec standing over me, his face upside down and only an inch away from mine. He continued to tap my forehead.

I sighed, swatting his hand away, proceeding to lift myself off the ground and brushing myself off. "And what would you like to do, my dear Alec?"

Jane stepped into view and stood next to her brother.

"Well, Demetri and Felix have already gone back to the plane, so we decided we wanted to go catch a quick snack at one of the local clubs. Interested?"

"Gee, let me think, go wait in the plane with Dem and Felix or go to a club with you." I made a face like I was actually considering my options. "Of course I'll go with you two. I'll help you run your game and I can get a drink. Maybe if I drink fast enough I can catch a buzz and stop thinking for a few minutes."

Jane was almost bouncing with excitement. "It's been so long since we hunted in a club. This is going to be so much fun!"

An hour later we found ourselves in the loud music and dim lights of a local club. We picked a table by the side exit, so we could see everyone and make a quick exit if needed. I sat facing away from the dance floor, sipping some fruity concoction Jane had gotten for me. She liked to order me strange drinks. I think she must have been trying to enjoy them vicariously through me. I closed my eyes and allowed the loud music and sharp smells to distract me. I could hear both Alec and Jane sitting quietly at the table with me. They were scouting the humans, looking for the right targets. It was kinda fun watching the siblings hunt. They really were masters at their craft.

"Well, this night just got a whole lot more interesting." Jane commented, grabbing my wrist tightly to get my attention. "Don't look behind you, but I think some of your relatives just walked in."

My eyes flew open and it took a colossal effort not to swing around completely. I checked to make sure my tinted glasses were covering my eyes and subtly turned just a fraction, enough to see the doorway to the club. Sure enough, standing in the doorway was Emmett and Rosalie. I whipped back around.

"Fuck. What in the hell are they doing here?" I hissed under my breath. I gave Jane a fierce look. "We need to leave, now. I'm not ready to deal with this. I don't know if I smell the same as I use to, but I don't want to stick around to find out." We all stood and made a break for the side door. It was locked, but that didn't even slow us down. I turned to look again. This was a mistake. Just as I was looking at Emmett, he looked up at me. We slipped out before I could confirm if he recognized me or not...

To Be Continued...


	11. Could It Be?

Greetings all! I'm gonna try and post several chapters to this story this weekend. I have about 28 chapters finished, so I have lots to review and post. Hope you are enjoying and send me a review, if you get a spare moment. Love to all who are reading.

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><p><strong>Emmett POV<strong>

Rosalie was really an unusual soul sometimes.

For the most part, she was fine with staying away from humans. She had no problem with her control, she just didn't feel the need to mingle with them. Sometimes, however, she'd get into a mood and would have me take her to a cafe or club, just to observe the people.

I loved mingling with humans, so I made the most of her social moods whenever they arose.

We were in Atlanta for some artsy thing. I really wasn't paying attention when Rose told me about it, since art was not one of my passions. I hadn't been alive long enough for me to even get curious about it yet, but Rose loved it, so we went. Fortunately, I was able to convince her to come with me to a club afterwards, as a trade off.

When we entered the club, I smiled as the loud music and heavy air hit my senses. I took a deep breath, taking it all in. I was just thinking how much I enjoyed this when a faintly familiar scent hit me. It kinda smelled like how Ally use to. The thought made a pang of sadness roll over me.

I missed my little niece. She was an amazing kid and the world is worse off without her in it . I still hadn't fully forgave Eddie and Jake for causing her to run away. Carlisle likes to say it wasn't their fault, but we all know it was. I make it a point to bring up my opinion on the subject whenever she's brought up. I just wasn't ready to forgive them yet. Maybe someday.

The scent caused my hopes to rise. I knew she was dead and this was just someone who coincidentally smelled like her, but I scanned the club anyway. As I scanned, I picked up two other scents. These were two I recognized. Two I'd never forget. Alec and Jane...the Volturi.

I pushed down a growl as my scanning was rewarded with a glimpse of the two Volturi, sitting at a back table with another person. I could tell the unknown person was female, with long snow white hair, but her back was to to me, so I couldn't see anymore than that. The three were talking, but with the music and crowd, I was unable to tell what was being said. They stood to leave and the mystery girl turned to look behind her. Her covered eyes looked my way for just a second, but it was enough.

I was frozen. I couldn't be sure, but the girl looked like Ally. Before I could regain my mobility, the two vampires and the girl broke through the side door and were gone. By this time, Rose was nudging my arm, trying to get my attention.

"Emmett, what's wrong with you?" She asked.

I grabbed her hand and drug her to the spot where the vampires had just been. "Do you smell that?" I asked her, once we were at the table. She took a big breath, then frowned.

"I smell Volturi." She growled. "What are they doing here?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about them, but keep smelling. What else do you smell?"

She rolled her eyes, but took another deep breath. Her eyes widened and she grabbed my arm.

"It can't be!" She exclaimed. "She has to be dead. Carlisle said..."

"I know what he said, but what if she got bit by a vampire? If Carlisle's theory was correct, then..."

"Ally might still be alive." Rose latched onto my arm and drug me towards the side exit door, which had been broken through. "Come on, if she ran from us, we won't have long to catch up with her before we lose her trail."

We raced after the scent. We wouldn't lose her trail again. Not this time.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

We sprinted all the way to the airstrip. I thought that we might have escaped, but I heard my name being shouted from across the tarmac.

"Damn it." I sighed under my breath. Alec was already on the plane, getting it ready to take off. Jane stopped at the ramp, giving me a questioning look.

"Go ahead, I'll be right there." I said quietly, so that we were the only ones who could hear it. Jane nodded and got on the plane. Slowly, I turned and took a few steps towards the two vampires quickly descending on me. They stopped a few feet away.

All three of us were quiet for a long stretch of time. I don't think any of us knew what to say at the moment. Finally, Rose broke the silence.

"It really is you, Ally, isn't it?" She asked. By her voice, you could tell she didn't fully believe it.

"More less." I replied.

She slowly took a few more steps towards me. I stepped back and she stopped.

"We thought you were dead." Emmett added, keeping his distance.

"Nope, I'm still alive and well." I didn't want to have this conversation, so I wasn't going to make it easy on them. The day had started out with such potential. If only we had taken the disappointing fight as a omen and just went home.

"If you've been alive all this time, why didn't you come home? Or at least call and let us know you were safe? We've all been so worried. Most of us had given up hope." Rose asked, pleading.

I didn't answer. I just stood there, doing my best to keep control. Emmett and Rose didn't deserve the rant I had bubbling up inside me. I almost felt bad for not staying in touch with them...almost. It wasn't their fault Dad and Grandpa wouldn't allow my transformation. Truth was, I missed my Aunt and Uncle. This just wasn't how I had planned my family reunion going. I had hoped to do this 40, maybe 50 years from now, on my own terms.

I heard motion behind me.

"You OK, Ally?" Felix asked from the entrance of the plane. No doubt they could all hear my distress in my heartbeat. I was actually surprised it took the guys this long to come out and offer assistance.

"I'm fine, Felix. I'll be there in a second." I replied, turning my back to my Aunt and Uncle. Felix nodded, giving Emmett and Rose a stern look before heading back onto the plane. Emmett replied to the look with a very low, soft growl.

I kept my back to my relatives and sighed loudly. There was only one way to end this quickly. I hated to do it this way, but I just needed to get out of here.

"You want to know why I didn't come back? Why I've stayed with the Volturi?" I asked, maybe just a tad more angrily than I intended. I took my glasses off and turned around, keeping my eyes wide open. "I don't think you'd like who I've become."

Neither of them could hide their surprise. Rose even gasped slightly. I glared at them in a fierce way, accented by my blood red eyes, then turned and quickly entered the plane. Felix was right there, closing the door once I was in. I rushed to a seat as the plane began to take off, leaving my stunned relatives behind.

To Be Continued...

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><p>Well, the cat is out of the bag now. Woo Hoo, let the drama begin!<p> 


	12. Freak Out

Woo Hoo, chapter 12...I have so many chapters for this one written, I've just been so lazy at posting. I hope you like this one and I should have more updates soon. Thanks to all who are reviewing and reading. Love ya. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Rosalie POV<strong>

"That was..."

"Ally." Emmett completed my sentence.

We both stood shocked as we watched the plane take off in front of us.

"And she was with..."

"The Volturi." Emmett completed my sentence again.

I turned and looked at my husband. "And I wasn't hallucinating, her eyes were..."

"Very red." He replied, looking at me. I could see the panic I was feeling mirrored in his eyes, but then it vanished and was replaced with happiness. He smiled at me. "But she's alive. She's different, but it was definitely her. She's alive!"

I couldn't help but smile back. Leave it to Emmett to focus on the silver lining. He pulled me into a hug and I returned it wholeheartedly.

"We have to call Carlisle!" Emmett said, reaching for his phone.

"On it." I replied, pulling mine out of my purse. The family was not going to believe this.

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

My proposal to Allyssa went better than I thought it would. She was left speechless, but responded favorably to my kiss. I loved hearing her heart race at my touch. I could only hope her reply would be positive and I would get the opportunity to listen to that racing heart over and over again for all eternity.

I sat quietly in the library. I often came here, not to read, but to sit and listen to the goings on around me. I found it relaxing to listen to the sounds of humans going about their daily lives. They were all so blissfully ignorant to how short and meaningless their existence was. A mere flash in the pan compared to us. I enjoyed listening to them complain about their insignificant problems. It was almost like meditation to me.

The moment was interrupted by my cell phone. I normally don't carry one, since I had little need to communicate with the outside world, but whenever my Little One was on a mission, I made it a point to keep it close by. She was a child of the modern age and if I wanted to keep her more closely in my life, I'd have to learn to embrace the now, as she so colorfully put it.

I became slightly worried when saw it was Jane calling.

"Yes?" I answered in the bored voice I had mastered over the centuries.

"Marcus, we have a problem." Jane stated in her usual calm fashion. Vampires are masters at hiding their emotions and Jane was no exception. "We ran into a couple of the Cullens and I think Ally's having a nervous breakdown."

"Is she alright?" I asked, not bothering to hide the concern in the voice this time.

"Physically, yes. We're on the plane heading home, but I think she needs to talk to you."

I could hear the phone being passed. "It's Marcus, Al." I heard Jane tell my Little One. The phone was silent for a few seconds, then I heard a quiet breath.

"Hey." Ally whispered, sounding out of breath.

"Are you alright, my Little One. What happened?"

"It's bad. They know now. They know I'm alive. They know I'm with the Volturi. They know I drink human blood. They know everything. This is bad...bad...bad...I'm not ready for this. What am I going to do? Carlisle will probably call Aro before we get back. He's probably calling now. What am I going to do?" She began to hyperventilate.

"Shh, calm yourself Allyssa. Just listen to my voice and take a few deep breaths." I could hear her take my advice. "Everything is going to be alright. You don't have to see them again if you don't want to. No one will force you to do anything. Remember, you're a part of us now and we will protect you as our own. Just try and remain calm. You are right, Carlisle will be calling soon, and we will handle it. Once you are thinking clearly, you can decide what you want to do about this. You're not alone, my love."

"OK, OK...I'm calm...I'm at peace...I'm safe on this plane with my family." Allyssa took another deep breath and let it out slowly. I smiled at her comment. She called the vampires on the plane with her family. "Well, that was an unattractive reaction to the situation."

I chuckled. "There is nothing in this world that can make you unattractive. You just relax. Distract yourself as best you can and get some rest. You'll be home soon, then we can sort things out."

"OK." Ally replied. She didn't sound convinced that everything would be alright, but at least she was calmer.

"Give the phone back to Jane. If you need me before you land, just call." Moment's later, Jane came back on the line.

"Marcus, she's calmer now. I think she's good."

"Good, help keep her calm and distracted. Call me the minute you land."

"Yes, master." She replied, then hung up.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. If it were possible for a vampire to get a headache, I'd have one. I finally decide that enough time has passed for my true feelings for Allyssa to be known and something like this happens! There were times when I truly believed that our kind were cursed. I looked up to see Aro enter the room. He smiled at me, taking the chair next to mine.

"I just got the most interesting message from the front desk. It seems that our dear old friend Carlisle has somehow discovered our little secret. He wishes for me to contact him right away. Interesting, don't you think?"

"Not really. Jane called my cell phone. Apparently, during the mission, they ran into a couple of the Cullens. Allyssa had a bit of a confrontation with them, which upset her greatly. We will have to wait for the guards return to learn more. They are already in flight." I offered my hand to my brother. He took it and witnessed the phone conversation. This made him smile.

"Well, well. It appears things are about to get much more entertaining around here." He looked at me. "Not to worry, brother, the girl is yours. She is one of us, one with our ways. She will never return to her old life." Aro paused for a moment, thinking. "I agree, we will leave it up to her to decide if she wishes contact with her old coven. Contact or not, we will now have a permanent connection with our old friend. Most excellent."

Aro got up from his chair and headed to the door. "I will call Carlisle myself. I will inform him of Allyssa's current situation and that she will contact him when she returns, if she wishes it."

I sighed again. Aro was almost giddy with excitement. He did love his power and was always eager to do what he could to increase it. This could prove to be the greatest power play of all, the bonding of our covens. I just hoped I didn't lose my mate in the process.

To Be Continued...


	13. The Other Family

Welcome one and all to chapter 13! Thanks so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing my story. This one has received a better response than I had thought it would. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

Jane called moments before their plane landed. She told me that Allyssa was asleep and I instructed for her not to be awakened. Once the guard had left the plane, I entered and found my Little One sound asleep. I had feared the landing would wake her, but she was still dead to the world. I ran my hand gently down her cheek. She stirred slowly, then opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize who she was looking at, but when she did, she rewarded me with a smile.

"Welcome home."

"Please tell me this was all just a messed up nightmare?" Her eyes were pleading.

I smiled back at her, sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Little One, but it was not. Please tell me what happened."

She sat up, so she was leaning on the wall at the head of the bed. She took both my hands and held them tight, like she was afraid I might disappear if she let go. Something about this situation had her truly rattled.

"The mission was a bust. By the time we got there, the entire army except 2 were already torn to pieces. Jane and Alec wanted to snag a quick meal before we left, so the three of us went to a club. Everything was fine until they walked in...my aunt Rose and uncle Emmett. We tried to get away before they spotted me, but I must smell almost the same as I use to. They followed us back to the plane."

She was trembling, so I slid so I was sitting next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "Please continue. It's OK."

"I didn't want to confront them. I didn't want to talk to them at all. I didn't have to show them my eyes, but I did. I told them they wouldn't like who I am now. My anger wasn't for them, it never was. They didn't deserve the way I talked to them. Now they both probably hate me." She cradled her head in her hands.

She felt guilty and was afraid of her old family hating her. That's what had her rattled.

I lifted her chin so she was looking at me. "You did nothing wrong, my precious. Your actions were not severe enough to burn bridges. A assure you, everything will be alright."

She remained still and silent for many minutes, then she rolled into me, hugging me tightly with her head on my chest. I wrapped both my arms around her to return the hug. I couldn't help a sigh escaping. She just felt so right in my arms.

"Did they call?" She finally asked, not moving from her position.

"Carlisle did call, yes. Aro spoke with him. He was told that you would contact him when or if you wished to. Aro and I both believe that you should be the one who decides what action to take. Take some time to think about it. They are all immortals, they can wait as long as is necessary for you to decide what is comfortable to you. I will help you where I can, but I can not guarantee they will not come here looking for you."

"Thank you, Marcus. I don't know what I'd do without you here. I don't know why this is affecting me so badly. I knew I wanted to reveal myself to my other family someday, but not now. I was thinking like 50 years or so. I don't know, it's all just so..." Ally paused, not able to find the right word.

"Difficult." I finished for her. She looked up at me and nodded.

"Yes, difficult is as good a word for this whole debacle as any." Allyssa sat up and took a deep breath. "And you're right. They're vampires, they can wait for me to decide when I want to break my silence. Not like any of us are getting any older. And if they do come here, well then, I'll deal with it then."

I laughed. "Indeed, Little One. Well said." I stood and helped her to her feet as well. "Let us return home. Aro is eager to see what happened and I think you could use a nice hot bath to help you relax. Also a good meal and a hunt, if you feel up for it."

Allyssa cuddled next to me as we left the plane. She giggled and looked up at me. "Are you sure you can't read minds? I swear I was just thinking I could use all of that."

I smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "We are bonded, my Little One, regardless of your answer to my proposal. I will almost always be able to guess your needs before you express them."

"Hmm." She replied. "I kinda like the sound of that."

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><p><strong>Carlisle POV<strong>

I almost dropped the phone when Rose called.

Esme and I were alone in the house. Edward, Bella, Alice and Jasper had gone hunting and Nessie and Jacob were at their own home. Esme was outside in the garden and didn't respond to the phone ringing.

I didn't ask Rose if she was sure. She wouldn't have called me if there was any doubt. Ally had spoken to them, so it was most definitely her and she was most definitely alive. She had left in a hurry on the Volturi's private plane, but made it a point to show them her eyes before she left. She had changed in the last five years. The big questions was, how much.

Before I could think much more, the phone rang again. This time it was Alice.

I called for Esme before taking Alice's call.

"Hello Alice."

"What's going on. Something has upset you, but I can't see what it is. I see us coming right home. We've already turned around. We'll be there in 45 minutes."

"Good, I've got some interesting news."

The phone went dead. By this time, Esme was in the room with me, looking concerned.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Call Nessie and Jake. The others are already on their way. Rose and Emmett just called. Allyssa's alive."

If it were possible for vampires to faint, Esme would have. I rushed to her side to steady her.

"They're sure?"

"Her appearance has changed some, but it was her. She only spoke to them for a moment."

A concerned look spread across her face. "She's not with Rose and Emmett now?"

I sighed. "She left with the Volturi."

Esme gasped.

"And she had red eyes."

Esme placed a hand over her mouth. She was speechless, much like myself. I too was having a difficult time believing that our little Ally was now with the Volturi. Not just with them, but a fully participating member. Ally had grown up drinking animal blood. She didn't even have a lust for human blood. It never appealed to her. What had changed? The only answer I could come up with was that she was now half vampire and with the Volturi as guidance, she had switched to human blood.

Esme left to call Nessie and Jacob and I took a seat behind my desk. Human blood or animal blood, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that our little great granddaughter was alive and I had a call to Italy to make.

Unfortunately, my feelings might not be shared by the entire family, not shared by one Shape shifter in particular.

To Be Continued...


	14. Gotta Do What I Gotta Do

Greetings all! I'd like to thank everyone who is reading this story. I was kinda iffy on this one starting out, but I'm glad I wrote it, since people seem to be enjoying it. I know I've been enjoying writing it. Who knew there were so many Marcus fans out there! Anyway, on with the show.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

**Two Weeks Later...**

I sat at the far end of the garden, a very old Russian novel in my lap and an English-Russian dictionary pulled up on the electronic tablet next to me. Caius kept telling me that once you learn the basics, reading a new language was the easiest way to get fluent. I had already learned six languages fluently, Russian being the seventh. I was finding it the most challenging. It worked well to help take my mind off all the chaos looming in my life.

I heard footsteps heading my way and looked up to see Marcus. The brothers had a judgement to make today and I asked Marcus if he could join me in the garden once they were finished. I looked at my watch. The judgement had only taken 10 minutes. So much for that vampire. I smiled at Marcus as he approached, moving my tablet so he could sit next to me.

It was a sunny day and Marcus sparkled gloriously. I never got over how awe inspiring vampires were in the sun. It tended to distract me.

"There you are. Enjoying your homework?" He asked playfully.

"Actually, yes." I replied, placing a bookmark in the book and moving it off to the side alongside the tablet. "I've found Russian to be far more difficult than the other languages I've learned so far. I like the challenge."

Marcus closed his eyes and pointed his face towards the sun, taking a deep breath. "Ah, it is a beautiful day. I spend so much time indoors, I sometimes forget how wonderful the sun feels."

"That's the main reason I like to work out here. I do enjoy the sun." I replied absentmindedly. I was focusing on the sun reflecting off of his skin, so I really wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. We sat quietly for almost ten minutes when Marcus finally broke me out of my stupor.

"Not that I don't enjoy sitting here in the sun with you, because I could do this all day, up you said you had something you wished to talk about?"

"Yes." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves and slow my heart. "I've decided some things. I'm going to go see my family, in person. Other than the whole 'letting me die' issue, I had a good upbringing and they deserve to hear about the last five years. This can't be done effectively over the phone. I need to see them and they need to see me, alone. It's the only way."

Marcus had a worried look on this face. I knew he wouldn't like my decision much. Before he could comment, I continued.

"You don't need to say it, I know, you don't like the idea of me flying around the world alone, but I need to. It's the only way to convince them that my decisions are my own. If I show up with half the guard with me, they'll think everything I say has been edited by Aro. Besides, I have a plan."

Marcus gave me an intrigued look. "A plan?"

"Yes, I plan to talk with Carlisle first, one on one. Aro informed me that my family still lives in Montana and Carlisle still works at the hospital. I plan to see him at his office and explain my situation."

"Ah, I see. You're going to get him on your side, so when you see the rest of the coven, he'll serve as insurance for your safety."

Marcus really did know me well. "Exactly. None of the others will go against Carlisle. Even my father fully respects him. This will ensure that I get to tell my whole story. If they accept me, I'll stick around to chat, if they don't, I'll be home in a day or two."

I watched as Marcus contemplated my idea. I could tell he still didn't like it, but not for the reasons I had originally thought. He knew as well as I did that Carlisle wouldn't allow anyone to harm me. My plan was solid. There had to be another reason for his concern. Then it hit me.

"You're afraid I won't come back, aren't you? That I'll bond with my old family and not return to you."

Marcus sighed. "Perhaps a little."

I scoffed. That was a half trust if I had ever seen one. I widened my eyes and just stared at him.

He chuckled, knowing he was caught. "OK, so maybe more than a little."

I turned to face him fully, taking his hands in mine.

"You have nothing to worry about. I've also made a decision about your proposal." I looked him in the eye and smiled. "The answer is yes."

"Yes." It wasn't a question. It was more like he almost didn't believe me.

"Yes. You have my permission, when I return, to start courting me. There really wasn't anything for me to decide. I've always felt this way for you, it just took my mind a little time to figure it out. This is all very new to me. I mean, I was fifteen when we met, so it's not like I've ever been in an adult relationship before. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Do not worry, my Little One. We will move at a pace that is comfortable to you. We have all eternity to sort this out."

I laughed out loud. "I don't think it will take that long for me to adjust."

Marcus reached over and pulled me into a hug. It felt good, knowing this was the man I would someday marry. It felt right, somehow. "You have made me into the happiest man on the planet, you know that right?"

"I sure hope so. Now, do you feel better about my coming trip?"

"Indeed, your time away will give me the time I need to plan how I will start our courtship." He kissed me on the forehead. "But I'm still not happy about you going alone."

"I"ll be fine. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return. I'd like to leave tonight, if possible."

"Of course, my Love. I'll inform Aro of your decision and have the plane prepped." He stood and offered me his arm. I picked up my things and took it. He led me back to the complex. Before we went inside, I stopped him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I just want to do an experiment." I put down my books, so my arms were free. Marcus was several inches taller than me, so I had to stand on my toes in order for my lips to reach his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me up, so my feet were barely touching the ground. This kiss, unlike our first one, wasn't soft or short.

I had spent the last week wondering what Marcus tasted like ,and if I was saying goodbye to him for a yet to be determined number of days, I was damn sure gonna find out before I left. It turned out that he tasted better than I had imagined. He didn't taste like anything I had ever experienced before. It was uniquely him and I loved it. I could tell that I would no doubt get addicted to kissing him.

After a few minutes, I broke the kiss. My heart was pounding and I had to take a moment to catch my breath. He didn't have such difficulties, being a full vampire and all, but he was smiling in a way I had never seen before. Blissful was the only word to describe it.

"Well, I'd say my experiment was a success." I retrieved my books, grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "I am definitely coming back. As fast as I can manage it. I need to go now, before these feelings I'm having at the moment change my mind."

Marcus laughed loudly. His voice was like hypnotizing music to my ears. "As you wish, my Little One."

**To Be Continued...**

The next chapter will have Ally's encounter with Carlisle. Should be fun. Let me know what you think.


	15. Childhood Lost

Thanks for all the reviews. Because of the response to the last chapter, I decided to post another one today. Hope you continue to enjoy and I love hearing from you.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I stood outside the hospital where Carlisle worked. I had only been here once before, so I was almost positive that I wouldn't be recognized by any of the humans. I had my hair pulled up into a hat and covered my eyes with my lightly tinted glasses. Besides my hair and eye color, I looked very much human.

Marcus had told me that the key to moving around a hospital unnoticed was simply to walk in like you belong there. Turns out he was right. I managed to make it to the hallway which contained the doctor's offices without even a second glance. I didn't know for sure which office was Carlisle's, but I followed my nose until I found the door with his name on it.

I could hear him moving inside and I didn't hear a heartbeat, so I knew he was alone. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, then knocked. I heard a soft 'come in'. I took off my hat, allowing my long white hair to fall around my shoulders, and hung my glasses from the front of my shirt. It was now or never.

I walked in to find my great grandfather deep in thought over some paperwork. It took him a moment to look up, but when he did, he froze, his eyes fixed on me. I closed the door behind me and held my breath, waiting for him to move. After a few seconds, he stood, but didn't approach.

"Hi Grandpa Carlisle." I said softly.

In less than a second, he had me in a hug. It took my mind a bit to understand what was happening, but when it finally caught up, I returned the hug. He was the same man I had grown up with. I had changed, but he was exactly the same. I allowed myself to relax.

He kept his hands on my shoulders, but pulled away so he could look at me.

"It really is you." He stated.

I smiled at him. "Yeah, it's me. The venom changed my appearance some, but it's still me. Your treatment idea worked like a charm."

Carlisle escorted me to the chair across from his desk, while he leaned against the desk. "So, you were bitten?"

"Yeah, in my last hours." I pressed my finger and my thumb together. "I was this close to death. I weighed only 79 lbs and I was pretty much on my way out. I was in a tiny little hospital in this tiny little town somewhere in Australia. That's where Marcus found me."

"So, the Volturi found you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess you could say that. Marcus is a part of the Volturi, but It was just Marcus, alone. No Guard."

Carlisle gave me a confused look. "Interesting. Marcus very rarely travels and certainly never travels alone. At least that was the case when I knew him."

"It still is. None of the brothers travel alone. Or even travel at all. They don't leave the complex much, but Marcus says he felt compelled to come to Australia. He didn't know why, he just felt he needed to go. After over 3000 years, he says he's learned to trust his instincts. He ended up in the little town I was in and my vampire scent drew him to the hospital. He asked me if there was anything he could do for me. I said bite and three days later, voila, I woke up in a hotel suite somewhere else in Australia looking like this." I held out my arms. "OK, so maybe not just like this. I was still 79 lbs and extremely weak, but I felt great. I was in no pain and my mind was clear for the first time in months."

Carlisle listened closely to what I had to say, looking torn. No doubt he found it all very interesting from a medical standpoint, but he was also thinking in the terms of a grandfather. I was betting he'd ask permission to run tests to see what exactly happened during the transformation, once all the shock wore off. He waited patiently for me to continue.

"Marcus took care of me. It took two weeks of 3 large meals and a thermos full of blood a day to finally get me to the point where I could move around on my own. I was still underweight, but recovering quickly. Thank goodness for shifter healing."

"And you drank human blood?" Carlisle asked. I could tell the question pained him some. He already knew the answer, but needed to hear it from my own mouth.

"Yes. Marcus offered to get me animal blood for the first 4 days, until I told him I would always want human. It was my idea, my choice. He didn't try to influence me at all. It was actually two years before I started hunting for myself. The weirdest part is that I know I should feel bad about taking human life, but I don't. Not at all. I keep waiting for the guilt to start, but it never does. Maybe I watched too many nature shows as a kid. I just don't see a problem with vampires eating humans."

"Do you have a desire for human blood at all? I know you didn't before."

"Nope, none. It smells good to me, but it always did. It doesn't call to me any more now than it ever did. I have no issues with my control. My decision to drink human blood has nothing to do with blood lust, it's just a choice I made on my own. You can't blame the Volturi for that one."

"And once you got strong enough, you decided to return to Italy with Marcus? He didn't force you to go?"

I nodded. "My choice again. He would have taken me anywhere, if I had asked, but I wanted to go back to Italy with him."

"Why didn't you come home?" He asked, his voice was still even and calm, but I could see the pain in his eyes.

I looked down at my lap and sighed. "I've asked myself that same question many times since then." I looked back up at Carlisle. "I use to think it was because I didn't want any of you to see me in the condition I was in. It was a nice, simple answer. An incorrect answer, but simple. Later on, in hindsight, I figured out that part of it was that I was still angry with the family. I mean, someone could have talked to me about what was happening. I shouldn't have heard about it by eavesdropping. It felt as though what I thought and felt didn't matter. It hurt me to be thought so little of."

Carlisle tried to speak, but I held a hand up to stop him, I needed to get this out.

"That was only part of the reason. Mostly, I just wanted to figure things out on my own. I felt like a new person. I was a new person. I wanted to discover who I was on my own, without being told my decisions were wrong. I didn't want to be looked down on for my actions. I wanted freedom without guilt and Marcus offered me that."

Carlisle was quiet. You could tell he was trying to find the right words to say. It must have been hard to hear, but there was no other way to say it.

"I'm sorry, Ally." He bent down and took my hands. "You shouldn't have had to go through all of that on your own. We should have talked to you...I should have talked to you. I should have gone against your father's wishes and let you decide your own fate. I see my error, now. In trying to keep the peace, I managed to push you away. I only hope you can forgive me." He looked at me with sad eyes. He was being honest and sincere.

"There is nothing to forgive. That was five years ago. I'm at peace with my past." I hugged him, trying my best not to cry. "I just hope you can forgive me for the choices I've made. I just needed you to know that they were all my choices. The Volturi had nothing to do with them."

Carlisle looked me straight in the eyes. "I'm proud that you made your own choices, but I won't lie. I am slightly disappointed in some of them..." I went to look away, but he turned my head so I would continue to look at him. "...but, they do not matter. I can respect that you have made these choices all on your own and that you are happy with them. All that matters now is that you're alive, healthy and happy. That's all I care about."

I hugged my great grandfather, this time not holding back the tears that had welled up in my eyes. "Thank-you. That's all I was hoping for."

After a few minutes, we pulled apart, Carlisle handing me a tissue from the box on his desk. I wiped my eyes and got myself under control, as Carlisle walked behind his desk, retrieving his coat, bag and keys. "I'm guessing the reason you came to see me alone, instead of going to see your parents first, was to get me on your side. Convince me you're not being manipulated by Aro."

"Was it that obvious?" I chuckled. And I thought my idea was a stroke of genius. "I was almost positive that you'd accept me, no matter what. I can't say the same thing for my father."

"Come, let's go see everyone else. I'm sure you have much to say and this way you won't have to tell your story twice. And don't worry about the others, this will be difficult, but they will come around. They all miss you very much."

I nodded, following him out of his office. I tucked my hair back under my hat and put my glasses back on. We left the hospital, with only a few strange looks from Carlisle's co-workers. Once in his car, I removed my glasses, this time putting them in the backpack I carried. I won't need them where I was going. I had nothing to hide from my family. I let my hair fall out of my hat.

"You really are comfortable with our choices, aren't you?" Carlisle asked, glancing at me quickly, then turning his eyes back to the road.

I smiled at him, nodding. "Yes, I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong. I'm happy with my life as it is."

He smiled back at me. "I can tell. You're not trying to hide your eyes, even though you know some of the family will be uncomfortable with them. It's a sign of your own security."

"And you're not lying to me about anything. Everything you've said to me has been the truth."

"Of course." He replied, confused. "Why would I lie?"

"It's not like that. I picked up more than just a new hair color during my transformation, I kinda got a vampire power, too . I can tell if someone is lying to me." I laughed lightly. "I'm a walking lie detector now. Marcus spent two full days trying to trip me up, but he wasn't able to. It's a handy skill to have, particularly around Aro. He's very...fond...of telling half truths."

"Indeed he is." Carlisle agreed.

Before we could continue our conversation, we pulled up to the house. I could hear voices on the inside and I took a nervous breath. I closed my eyes and listened closely. I could detect two distinct heartbeats. My parents.

Carlisle took my hand. "It's OK. You'll be alright, I promise."

I squeezed his hand.

Carlisle believed everything would be OK.

I only wished I could agree with him.

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p>

Well, what do you think? The next chapter will have Jake's reaction to seeing his daughter. Lots of fun. If I get as good a response to this chapter as the last, I might even post another later today or tomorrow. We'll see. Love ya all!

BTW...just saw Breaking Dawn 2...Love it love it loved it...gonna have to go see it again. Just wanted to share.


	16. Confrontation

**Carlisle POV **

Ally was the last person I expected to walk through my office door. I was just finishing up some paperwork before heading home and all of the sudden, there she was.

She looked just as Rose had described her, long white hair with a black streak in the front, lighter skin and a stronger build than before, and bright red eyes. She did indeed look different, but healthy.

She told me the basics of what happened to her when she left, focusing mainly on the fact that every decision she had made was indeed her decision. Honestly, I was surprised and somewhat skeptical, knowing the Volturi as I did, but her passion was very convincing. She seemed to have reasoned out her choices and even though they disappointed me some, I had to respect them. I would feel the same way if any of my family had decided to try the traditional diet.

I was simply happy she was alive, regardless of the lifestyle she chose. I was more concerned about her involvement with the Volturi. True, it was peculiar that Marcus was on his own when he found her. His gift for seeing bonds had always been a subtle talent, so having it guide him seemed impossible. It made me wonder what kind of bond he saw between them and if Allyssa was aware of it. I packed my curiosity away for future questioning. For now, we had more important things to worry about, like how the family would respond to Ally's return.

I knew my family well, so I was confident they would all eventually overlook Ally's new lifestyle. The only person's reaction I was worried about was Jacobs. He hadn't responded well to the news of her changes. It wasn't surprising, considering what he was. He and his pack had evolved to protect humans from vampires. Now his daughter, who had inherited his wolfy traits, was killing humans for food on a regular basis. Also, he truly despised the Volturi. You really couldn't blame him, considering they were almost responsible for the death of himself, Nessie and his entire pack. To him, they were the epitome of pure evil. It would be hard for him to deal with the fact that his only daughter was now one of them.

Ally obviously knew things could get ugly, since she chose to speak with me alone before attempting contact with the rest of the family. I was just hoping I wouldn't need to protect her from her father, but I was prepared to. Fortunately, Emmett and Jasper were both extremely happy their niece was alive, regardless of her new life. They would help hold Jake back if it came down to it.

"We'll find out soon enough." I thought to myself as we got out of the car and headed to the house. I knew for a fact that the entire family was home, including Jake and Nessie. Alice hadn't seen why, but she kept getting this nagging feeling that we all needed to be under the same roof tonight. It's funny how her gift works sometimes.

We walked into the house, and Esme came out of the living room to greet me.

"You're home early tonig..." Her sentence was stopped short when she saw who was with me. She paused for only a moment, then rushed over to Ally, collecting her into a hug Ally might have to heal from. Esme was unable to speak, she just sobbed happily as Ally returned the hug. The commotion caused the rest of the family to hurry into the room and stop short at the sight of our missing family member.

I looked over at Jasper, then over to Jake. My oldest son must have read my concern, causing him to position himself closer to Jake. To my surprise, Edward did the same. He had been fairly conflicted about Allyssa, but he didn't seemed conflicted now. "I'm afraid Jake might not be able to control himself and might try and hurt her." I thought to him. He nodded.

I watched as Esme finally released Ally and she was enthusiastically greeted by her mother. The two women were crying freely. I turned when I heard Jasper speaking to Jacob.

"Calm down, Jake. Now is not the time to lose control."

Jake was shaking violently and I could tell a shift was imminent. Moments later, he phased into his wolf. Jasper and Edward stood in front of him, blocking his path to Ally. He let out a loud, mournful howl, then raced out of the house.

I looked to Ally, thinking this will certainly upset her, but to my surprise, she didn't look upset. She looked angry, almost livid.

"Oh no you don't." She said angrily, kicking off her shoes and shrugging off the leather jacket she was wearing. For the first time I noticed she was wearing older looking clothes. She had arrived prepared to shift. Seconds later, she was replaced by an enormous snow white wolf with blood red eyes. She was pure white, without even a trace of her former coloring. She growled, then sprinted after her father.

Several of the family looked like they meant to follow, but I stopped them.

"Let them go. They need to sort this out on their own. We will intervene if necessary, but I think Allyssa is strong enough to take care of herself."

"I'll listen in and transcribe." Edward stated, holding a very worried Nessie.

We all stood quietly, looking out into the night. We were all hoping not to hear the sounds of two wolves tearing each other apart.

* * *

><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I raced after my father, determined to catch up with him before he got too far away. I began to think at him, hoping our mental link was still active.

"Why are you running away from your own daughter like a coward? Stop and talk to me, damn it,"

My dad stopped and faced me. He was pissed, growling loudly as I approached. I didn't think he'd attack me, but I prepared myself, just in case. He was still larger than I was, but I was half vampire now, fueled by human blood. We were probably fairly evenly matched.

"Coward!? You're the one living with the enemy! The one killing the people we were bred to protect! I can't believe any daughter of mine could ever do that! You've become the monster we were born to kill!"

"Monster! I'm the monster?" I replied angrily, growling. "You're the one who was going to watch me die! What kind of a man would sit and watch as his daughter withered away and do nothing to try and save her! You're the fucking monster. This is all your fault. It didn't have to be like this! Was I beyond your love because I was part vampire? Do you only love mom because you imprinted?" I had often thought about what I would say to my father, if I ever got the chance. This was five years worth of pent up anger coming out all at once.

At first, I was afraid my harsh words would cause my father to attack, but after a very tense few minutes, I watched as the fight left him. He whined, dropping down to his stomach.

"You're right." He replied, his thoughts sounding defeated. "If I had just pulled my head out of my ass long enough to see what was in front of me, none of this would have happened. Carlisle would have changed you and you wouldn't be like this." He looked up at me. "I don't like what you've become. I'm so sorry I did this to you, but please don't doubt my love for you. I've always loved you."

I sat down, so I was at his level. "I'm not asking you to like my decisions. I'm not even asking you to respect them. But, if you want me in your life in any measurable way, you will have to learn to accept them. This is who I am now and I have no interest in changing. I'm just hoping you can still love me regardless."

There was a long pause. My father's thoughts were a jumble and I waited patiently for him to organize them. This was a lot for a father to deal with all at once.

"I will try to accept it." He finally said, with great effort. This was going to be a struggle for him and I was happy he was at least going to try.

"That's all I ask. Just listen to my story. Listen to how happy I truly am. If you still want to hate me afterwards, I won't try to convince you otherwise."

"If I accept it or not, I still love you. I always will." He got to his feet, nodding his head in agreement. He took a few steps closer to me and rubbed his head against mine. I closed my eyes, enjoying my fathers wolfy equivalent to a hug. "I've missed you so much."

I whined.

"I've missed you too."

* * *

><p><strong>Edward POV<strong>

I held Nessie tightly as I listened in on the exchange between father and daughter. I had known about Jacob's anger. He had been trying to deal with it since Rose had called and told us about Ally. We hadn't even confirmed our assumptions about her yet. Ally was livid when her father made a run for it. I saw Jasper flinch at the emotion as she said her heated words to her father. She blamed him for leaving her no choice but to run away. It made me wonder if she knew about my refusal to cooperate as well. Was she this mad at me too?

I translated the entire exchange to the family. It only lasted for a few short minutes, but it left everyone shaken.

"I believe it's over. They're gonna run around the house for a few minutes to try and calm down enough to phase."

Carlisle turned to all of us with a serious look on his face. "What Ally said applies to all of us, not just Jacob. After speaking with her, I believe everything she is doing now, the good and the bad, are all entirely by her choice. I don't believe the Volturi are influencing her, at least not on her diet or her desire to be with them. She says she's happy with her decisions and we must respect that. I, for one, am thankful she came back at all and wish to keep her in my life."

Everyone voiced their agreement, including me.

This was a second chance none of us thought we'd ever have and we weren't going to blow it.

To Be Continued.

Sorry it took so long to update. I moved and it took some time to get everything back in working order. Will try to update more often from here on out. Let me know what you think.


	17. Accept

****Chapter 17 is up...enjoy. Thanks to all who are reading.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

My father and I ran for almost an hour, allowing both of us time to cool off. We could both be hot heads at times, but we managed to get our feelings out in the open without killing each other.

I had asked Grandpa Edward in my mind to have someone get some clothes out of my bag and set them outside. Dad took a couple more laps while I phased back, finding a pair of shorts and a shirt on the porch for me. I quickly put them on and walked back into the house.

Everyone was still there. They all seemed shaken, but not too upset by the exchange. I took a seat next to mom on the couch. She wrapped her arms around me again. It had to have been hard for her to listen to what was being said between her husband and her daughter and not be able to do anything but wait and hope we didn't hurt each other.

"Everything worked out?" She asked timidly.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think so. Things might be tense for a while, but I think Dad and I have reached an understanding. At least for now."

"I'll try to not phase in the middle of the living room again." Dad said, coming in looking much more calm. "Sorry." He said, looking at Esme. He knew she took a great deal of pride in keeping a clean home and one of the things she hated most was having to clean up shredded clothes when a wolf shifted indoors without taking off their clothes first.

"Now that everyone is calm and human, why don't you start your story, Ally." Carlisle said.

My family sat and stood around the room as I told them about my life over the last 5 years. I told them everything except the part about my relationship with Marcus. They didn't need to know about his intentions, at least not yet. Things were shaky enough with my parents as it was. They didn't need to know that I was more/less engaged to one of the Volturi brothers.

Every time my mind started down that road, I would start to recite lines in my head from the Russian novel Caius was having me read. I had practiced this over the last week, so as not to let anything slip to Edward. I could tell this confused him. Every Time I slipped into Russian, he would give me a quizzical look.

"So, you're not really a true member of the guard." Carlisle asked.

"Not really. I mean, I go on missions when the brothers are on the fence on a judgement, you know, to weed out the truth, but that's not very often. Aro lets me go occasionally in order to keep my fighting skills up or so I can try out new moves I learned from one of the guys, but that's only two or three times a year. For the most part, Aro likes to keep me nice and safe at home."

Bella made a hum sound. "So what do you do the rest of the time?"

I smiled. "I'm actually kind of a student. All of the Volturi leadership have taken to being teachers, almost from the moment I arrived. I've learned about art and science and history. Caius hated me when I first arrived, but warmed up to me after he taught me Italian. He's been enjoying teaching me languages and it turns out I have a knack for them."

"How many have you learned?" Esme asked.

"I'm fluent in six languages now, if you include English. My Russian is a little rough still, but it will be my seventh."

Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this why you keep slipping into russian novels in your mind? You've done it twice now."

"No, I do that to keep you out. I don't like you reading my mind any more now than I did when I was a kid."

"Do you have something to hide?" Dad asked, taking a similar pose as Grandpa Edward.

"Of course I have things to hide! Everyone does. Just drop it." I glared at my father, reciting another line or two for my Grandfather's benefit.

Mom leaned over and slapped Dad lightly on the arm. "Stop Jake. Allyssa is allowed to have some privacy in her own mind."

Before any more questions could be asked, I could hear my phone start ringing in my bag. "Excuse me for a moment." I got up from the couch, digging around in my bag until I found my phone. It was Marcus.

(Phone call is in Italian)

"**Wow, you waited a whole 3 days to call. I'm impressed." **

"**I would have called sooner, Little One, but I didn't want to interrupt your reunion too early. How did it go?"**

"**Well, we're all still alive and there have been no injuries. It was a bit tense at first, but I think things are going to be ok"**

"**Excellent. You are with them now?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Then I will leave you to it. Call me again, when you can."**

Marcus hung up. He was speaking very softly into the phone, so only my half of the conversation would be heard by my family and only the members who knew Italian even understood my half. I had recited almost a full page of the novel in my head during the conversation. Three cheers for the multitasking vampire brain, allowing me to speak in Italian and think in Russian at the same time. If I was going to have another conversation with Marcus, I would have to make sure to be a good distance away from my grandfather and his annoying gift, though. Hiding my thoughts from grandpa was tiring.

"Aro calling for a check in?" Edward said, not in a pleasant way. If this was going to work, they would all have to learn to be a little more respectful to my new family. At least around me. I didn't blame them for their dislike, they just didn't need to be so blunt with it around me.

"Marcus, actually, but yes, he was making sure everything is alright. Wouldn't want to send the guard out for no reason."

"They had the guard on standby?" Emmett asked, sounding surprised.

"Of course. I was flying into potentially hostile territory, alone. You can't tell me that if Grandma Bella were to go over to Italy alone to have a meet and greet with the Volturi that you wouldn't have someone standing by to rush in if things went wrong. I know it's hard to accept, but I am a part of the Volturi."

"You mean you're their new pet." Dad spat out.

"To some, yes, but not all. Trust me, I know." I pointed to my temple, tapping it gently. "They can't lie to me, remember. I know how they all feel towards me, what I am to them. I'm not naive or stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid." Dad replied. "It's just that I wanted more for you, for your life, than this."

"I'm happy, Dad. I have friends, people who care about me. As hard as it might be for you to understand, I like my life. I have just as much potential now, probably more, than I did before all this happened. And most importantly, I'm alive."

My dad flinched slightly at my last comment, but took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and nodded. He was trying.

"Can we please just stop talking about this." I yawned, rubbing my eyes.

"Ally, how long has it been since you ate and slept?" Carlisle asked. Always the doctor.

I sighed. "Let's see. I hunted before I left Italy, so I'm good in that respect for a couple of weeks. I ate lunch, solid food, on the way to Montana yesterday and I slept on the plane three days ago. I can usually go three or four days without sleep, depending on what I do. The last couple of days have been rather stressful, though."

"Well then," Esme stood from her seat. "I'll go whip up some dinner for you and your parents, then you can go up to your old room and get a good night's sleep."

This pretty much ended the serious conversation. The talk was much lighter, but I still had to focus on not thinking about Marcus. Jasper would give me a look every time I started thinking about him. It made me wonder what feelings he was feeling from me.

After dinner, I said goodnight to everyone and retired to my old room. They had left it just as it was when I left. With a sigh, I changed clothes and got into bed. I was asleep before my mind could wander.

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	18. Visitors

Chapter 18 is up. Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think so far.

* * *

><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

Two weeks later...

The last two weeks had been rather tense. We were all kinda walking on eggshells. The family was afraid to say something that would cause me to bolt and I was constantly afraid I would say something that would cause a fight.

For the most part, my relationship with my aunts and uncles picked up right where it left off. Even Carlisle and Esme took the new me in stride. It was my parents and grandparents which had the hardest time adjusting.

My father was trying his best, but my new lifestyle was almost more than he could bare. He had grown up protecting people from vampires. He just couldn't accept that I was one of the enemy now. He did his best to hide his frustration for the sake of my mother, who was taking the new me quite well, but I could tell it was a constant struggle to keep civil.

Grandpa Edward, on the other hand, had no problems accepting me. It was just driving him crazy that I was openly keeping something from him. I was still reciting my russian novel every time I started to think about Marcus, which was more and more often since I had arrived. I never realized how much I missed being around him.

In the evenings, I would run a good distance away and call him. Once, Edward tried to follow me, but me yelling at him stopped his eavesdropping attempts. I was pretty sure grandma Bella helped out with keeping him away from me as well.

What motivated Edward to try and spy on me were the feelings Jasper was picking up. I could recite all the novels in my head I wanted, but it would do nothing to hide my feelings from my Uncle. He could feel my affection towards Marcus plain as day and there was nothing I could do about it. This caused everyone to believe that I was in love with one of the guard. I was betting it didn't even cross their minds that my affections could be towards a brother.

I was going to tell them the truth, eventually. I was just waiting for the right moment. At least that was what I kept telling myself.

I was in my room, getting ready to go on a shopping trip with Alice and Rose, when Carlisle knocked on my open door.

"Can I come in?" He asked. He was always so respectful of my space, even before I ran away.

"Sure." I nodded, placing my cell phone in my purse.

"Getting ready to go shopping with Alice and Rose, I see."

I chuckled. "I really do miss going out with them."

Carlisle took a seat at my desk. "They missed it too. For all their trying, Alice and Rose were never able to get Bella and Nessie interested in clothes shopping. You, however, picked it up like you were born fashion savvy."

I turned to look at my grandfather. He had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I've noticed your eyes are starting to get dark."

I sighed, taking a seat on my bed. "Yeah, it's been almost three weeks since I went out hunting. I've been trying to avoid it, since I know it makes some of the family uncomfortable, but if I plan to stick around for much longer, I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and just go."

"You're not going to have any control issues, are you?" Carlisle asked delicately.

"No, don't worry about that. I won't lose control around humans, I just get really crabby and argumentative the longer I go without blood. I'll make it a point to go out tonight or tomorrow."

"I know I don't have to say this, but..."

I smiled. "I will take my hunting out of state. I don't want to cause any trouble for the family. I'll be careful."

"Thank you." Carlisle said, almost sadly.

"It disappoints you to have to have the 'hunt past state lines' talk with me, huh?"

"A little." He got up from the desk and sat next to me. "I just never thought I'd be having the conversation with you." He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "But don't you worry about it. You go and do what you have to do to be comfortable."

I hugged him. "Thanks for understanding."

He returned the hug. "Just remember that I'll always love you, regardless of what you do."

After a few moments, I got up, wiping away the stray tears that were betraying my composure. I smiled one last time at Carlisle, then grabbed my purse and left the room to find Alice and Rose standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting.

Rose drove and we were silent for almost 10 minutes. Alice finally turned in her seat to look at me.

"Don't worry, we'll get you home with plenty of time to go out tonight."

"Great." Stupid eavesdropping vampires. Wow, I was getting bitchy. I really did need to go out tonight before I picked a fight.

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob POV<strong>

It was a nice lazy day at home. I was vegging on the couch, doing my best not to think about my daughter. I was trying, I really was, but I just couldn't get the fact that my only child was a murderer out of my head. Everyone else in the family seemed to have moved on and accepted this fact, but I guess you needed to be part vampire to understand. I just found it difficult to overlook killing people.

How the hell did that make me the bad guy.

I was interrupted from my mental bitchfest by a knock at the door. I groaned as I got up to get the door, cursing anyone who would dare make me get up off the couch today. I really wasn't in the mood for visitors.

My mood sunk even lower when I opened the door to find Sam, Leah and Seth. I groaned again. This was just perfect. Normally I'd love a visit from my packmates, but not today. They knew nothing about the current situation. As far as they knew, Ally was still missing, presumed dead.

"Whoo, Jake man, you look like shit. What the hell happened to you." Seth asked.

I sighed heavily, not really welcoming my friends in, but I didn't shut the door in their faces either. I returned to the couch and they followed me in. This wasn't the first time that members of the old pack had come around to visit, it just wasn't a good time. Sam was going to pop a vein when he heard about Ally, seeing as he was her godfather.

"It's just not a good time, Seth. What are you three doing this far east anyway?"

"Well, Leah has a friend who just moved to Montana and we're heading to a party she's having. I'm going because Leah didn't want to drive out there alone."

"And we dragged Sam along because we're tired of watching him be all mopey. Since Sophia left for college, he's become a regular hermit." Leah added, taking a seat next to me.

I did feel sorry for Sam. Since Emily died three years ago from an aneurysm, Sam literally lived for their daughter Sophia. I know for a fact that Sam wouldn't still be alive if it wasn't for her. A month ago, Sophia left for her first year of college. She didn't move very far away, but it was a massive change for Sam and he wasn't dealing with being alone very well.

"Well, we all have our little parenting issues, don't we." I stated, resting my head on the back of the couch.

"Oh my god, Jake, is Nessie pregnant again?" Seth asked, excited.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This was so not going to go well.

"Allyssa's alive"

There was complete silence for what had to be almost a full minute.

Sam finally spoke up. "But you said Carlisle estimated she only had a year to live. That was more than five years ago."

I looked up at the older man. "You know the treatment he came up with, the one I refused to let him try? Well, it worked. She got bit by a vampire in her last hours, like nine months after she ran away. It worked perfectly. She's now half vampire and half shifter and completely healthy. She looks a little different, but it's her. She showed up at Carlisle's office two weeks ago."

"Well, that's great, man." Seth said. "You've got your daughter back. You can't be this upset about her being half vamp. Your wife is half vamp. Where is she, anyway?"

"She's staying up the road with the rest of the family. And it's not what she is that's the problem. It's what she's become that I'm having a hard time with."

All three of them sat quietly, waiting for me to continue, all of them sporting confused looks.

"You remember the Volturi?"

"The Leeches who tried to kill everyone when Nessie was a baby?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, it was one of them who saved Ally. She's been living with them for the past five years."

"Jake, it could be worse. At least she's alive." Seth said.

"That's not the part that bothers me. She could be living with fucking Dracula and I could accept that. The part I'm having a hard time accepting is that Allyssa has adopted the traditional vampire diet."

"So, she's drinking human blood." Sam stated. It wasn't a question.

"Drinks it, hunts for it herself, she even has blood red eyes." I stood up and started to pace. "She's not even being influenced by the bloodsuckers she's living with. She says she chose this and she has no interest, whatsoever, in changing back. I mean, she says she doesn't have a blood lust and only attacks people when she's hunting, but still. She's completely turned her back on all the things we taught her about protecting people from bad vampires and what it means to be one of the pack."

"So, she can still shift?" Sam asked.

"Yep."

Leah scoffed. "And the Cullens don't have a problem with is? They're all such bleeding hearts when it comes to humans, I'm surprised they aren't turning her away."

"They're vampires, Leah. Almost all of them have tried the traditional diet at least once. Jasper lived off it for decades before he joined the family. They see things differently than we do. They're willing to accept her choice, but I know they don't particularly like it. It bothers the Doc most of all, but he's gone through this with the others. He always lets them do as they wish, accepting them back with open arms when they return, but he's disappointed, you can tell."

"Well, maybe that's it. Maybe this is just a phase and she'll eventually turn back to animals." Seth offered.

"I can only hope. But until then, what am I supposed to do. My only daughter is a murderer. She's killing people on a regular basis and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop her without causing a full on fight I'm not sure either of us can walk away from. She says she's happy. Shouldn't that be enough for me? Isn't that what all parents want, for their children to be healthy and happy?"

Sam stood. "It is. Can we go see her?" He asked calmly. A little too calmly.

That was the last thing I expected to hear come out of Sam's mouth. I had figured he'd turn his back on Allyssa as soon as he heard about her eating habits.

"Um, sure, we can go up there and visit, I guess."

We all got into Seth's car and headed up to the family house. There was no way in hell this was going to end well.

To Be Continued...


	19. Betrayal

I received so many reviews for this story yesterday that I decided to update again right away. I'll probably post another chapter after this one later today. Enjoy and many thanks for your input.

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><p><strong>Jake POV<strong>

We got to the house just to find out that Ally had gone shopping with Alice and Rosalie. In fact, almost everyone was gone. Emmett and Jasper were playing Wii bowling and Esme was in the kitchen reading, but everyone else was out hunting and Carlisle was at work.

Seth was excited to see everyone. Of all the pack, he was the one who bonded the closest with the Cullens. He hugged Esme. He often said he saw her as a second mother, considering how she tried to take care of us during the events before Nessie was born.

Over the years, Sam had gotten use to being civil with my in laws. He didn't like to admit it, but he kinda liked most of them. He certainly had a great deal of respect for Carlisle. He was still leary of Jasper and Emmett, though, but who wouldn't be. The two guys could be very imposing, in their own way.

Leah simply nodded in recognition. She didn't like vampires of any kind and never would. She barely tolerated Nessie. She did like Allyssa after she phased for the first time and joined the pack, since she was no longer the only girl, but I doubted she'd like her much now.

We all hung out in the living room, watching Jasper kick Emmett's ass in bowling. Seth played against him next and he lost almost as badly. Jasper was the king of most Wii sports in this house.

We only waited for about an hour and a half when we heard a car pull up. Three people got out of the car, so it had to be the girls and from the sounds of it, they knew we were here. They probably smelled us. Rose still liked to complain about the smell.

They walked in and stopped in the entranceway to the living room. I don't think anyone was breathing.

"Wow, um, if it isn't a living room full of wolves." Ally said. She had a deer in the headlights look. Her eyes were darker than usual, due to not hunting, but you could still plainly see they were red.

Sam stood, taking a few steps towards her. "I didn't want to believe Jacob when he told us about you, but I see with my own eyes that everything he said was true."

"And what did Jacob tell you?" Ally asked, looking over at me.

"Everything." I replied.

"Well, excellent!" Ally said sarcastically. "That just makes things so much easier."

"No true member of this pack could be capable of killing a person for their blood."

Ally gave Sam a death stare, leaning against the wall casually. "Well then, I guess that means I'm not a true member. Oh well, at least I get the ability to turn into a wolf as a cool parting gift."

"You disgrace every wolf with your actions." Sam continued. "Did you learn nothing from the old stories about our role as protectors?"

"Things change, Sam. I've not going around killing every human in my sight, I'm just eating the way a vampire should eat. It's nature, not murder. You're the one who taught me to respect nature."

"You are not a vampire." Sam began to shake violently and I could tell Ally was near phasing as well. Suddenly I felt a calming wave hit me. Jasper was projecting calm to everyone in the house, and gently took Ally by the wrist. Emmett had taken up a position closer to Sam, along with Seth.

"Take it easy, guys." Jasper said softly "We've already cleaned up shredded clothes in the house once recently, we don't need to do it again. Not to mention it would be a bitch to get blood out of the carpeting. If anyone is going to phase or fight, let's take it outside."

Ally pulled away from Jasper. "That's ok, this discussion is over anyway."

With one final look at Sam, she darted up the stairs.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I was livid when I marched up to my room. I couldn't think about anything other than how much I really needed to get out of this house and hunt. I found that if I starved my vampire, it made my wolf more violent and volatile. At this moment, she was beyond angry and really wanted to pick a fight with Sam. I quickly change into a pair of jeans and a old shirt, then marched back down the stairs.

Nothing much had changed from when I stormed out. Jasper was still calming everyone and Seth was doing his best to keep Sam human. Honestly, the only reason either of us was holding it together was because Jasper was forcing calm on us.

I turned to Esme, who looked concerned. "I'm going out. I'll be back tomorrow." I turned, looking straight into Sam's eyes. "Just so you know, I'm going to hunt now. If you feel the need to try and stop me, go right ahead. I can guarantee only one of us will come back." I then stormed out the door and sprinted in the direction of the closest Montana border, not waiting to see if Sam was going to take me up on my threat.

I only ran for a short time before I passed Jasper's influence. The moment I was free of his power, my anger came back in full force. I somehow managed to get my clothes off before I phased into my wolf. I stood there in the middle of the forest, seething. I howled, loud enough for anyone within a few miles to hear me. I took off at a flat run.

It had been years since I phased involuntarily. Of course, it had been years since I had put off hunting for so long. I didn't have a blood lust, like most other starved vampires, but I did get a very violent streak when I allowed my wolf to get stronger than my vampire. I could be very sarcastic and downright mean to others. It only happened once around Marcus and I now know it's best to make sure it doesn't happen again.

My anger dissolved as I ran, allowing my brain to work again. I stopped, leaning against a tree.

I had been unfair to Sam. This was an incredibly difficult situation for any member of the pack to deal with. My godfather had made it a special point to teach me about serving the good of all people and taking care of the weak, since I did have a small percentage of vampire in me and he didn't trust it in the least. He believed that teaching me the difference between right and wrong at a young age would help squash any murderous feeling my vampire quarter might eventually have. I could see how we saw my lifestyle as betraying him and the pack.

The only problem was, to do what he thought was right, I would have to betray myself and who I was now. It was selfish for me to think about myself above others, but damn it, didn't I deserve to be happy too?

To Be Continued...

The next chapter will have a little more Marcus/Ally interaction. With any luck, I'll have it up later this afternoon.


	20. Regret

The next chapter is up! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send a review. I greatly appreciate the feedback. Sorry that it took me longer than I had anticipated to update. I kinda got pulled away from my computer over the weekend. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I wasn't entirely sure where I was when I stopped to hunt. I was far away from the house, that was for sure.

It didn't take long to find a town. It took even less time for me to find my prey. Three hours later I was on the way back, having killed three people. I usually took down only one, sometimes two, if I was really hungry, but tonight I was hungry and agitated.

I stopped several miles from the town to allow my stomach to process the blood a little. I was almost overstuffed, but at least I wasn't angry anymore. It was amazing how just a little blood could calm me. I vowed never to go that long without hunting again, regardless of the feelings of my family. I settled myself down in a field of tall grass, closed my eyes and just listened to myself breath.

After about an hour or so, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Marcus. He answered almost immediately. He had taken to carrying his phone around with him everywhere since I had been gone.

(Phone conversation in Italian)

"**I was wondering when you would call, Little One. I have missed you." ** Marcus's voice was soft and musical, as always. I didn't answer right away, just enjoyed his voice. **"Is everything alright?"**

I sighed. **"It's been a rough day, that's all. I got into a nice little confrontation with my godfather, you know, the werewolf. It didn't help matters that I hadn't hunted since I left Italy, either."**

"**Any casualties?" **

"**No, just some very heated words and a few threats on my part. I think I might have gone a bit overboard, but you know how I get when I don't hunt. I doubt he'll ever forgive me for being a bloodsucking murderer anyway, so my words probably did very little damage compared to what was already done."**

"**I'm sorry, Allyssa."** Marcus only used my full first name when he was being serious.

"**It's fine. I kinda knew I would never be accepted by the pack the moment I took my first human life."**

"**You've done nothing wrong. Don't let anyone convince you different." **The idea that I might feel guilty for my current lifestyle worried Marcus and it angered him to think someone might try to guilt me into changing my life. I had noticed it before.

"**Don't worry, I have no regrets about how I live. If the wolves can't accept it, then it's their problem, not mine. I just regret speaking to Sam the way I did. There was no reason for me to pour lemon juice into an open wound. I basically told him if he followed me, only one of us would come back alive."**

"**Oh, Little One, I wish I was there to comfort you. There is no reason you should be continuing with this alone."**

"**I wish you were here, too, but your presence would probably just start a fight. I don't want anyone getting hurt or dead over any of this."**

"**Have you told your family about our relationship? I know you wished to wait until the right time to bring it up." **

I sighed again. **"Not yet. My family has their suspicions about me dating someone in the Volturi, since my empathic uncle has been picking up on my affection. I'm not sure how they'll react when they learn my affection is focused on a brother, not a member of the guard."**

"**Do not tell them yet. I will be there within the week." **I started to object, but me stopped me. **"No arguments. There is no need for you to be alone anymore, particularly for this. If we are to someday be married, then I will be with you when you tell your family."**

I paused. I didn't know what to say. I longed to have Marcus back with me, but I was afraid. I had made progress with my family, but I didn't think they would respond favorably to my desire to be with Marcus. I wanted the blessing of as much of my family as possible, but I seriously doubted I'd get it from all of them. My parents would never approve and I doubted my grandparents would either. Their history with the Volturi was just too negative. The others might eventually agree, but not right away. That's what scared me the most.

"**Do not fear, everything will work out as it should."**

I laughed, breaking the tension. **"Are you sure you can't read my mind?"**

My laugh was rewarded with a musical laugh on the other end of the phone. His voice could calm me like nothing else in the world.

"**I assure you, I can not. I just know you very well. Your breathing sounded afraid and I know you fear you might lose your family, now that you have them back. Just go back to them and sort things out the best you can. Your vampire family will back you up against the wolves, I am sure of it. I will be there in a few days, once I have finished up some things here."**

"**I miss you."**

"**I miss you too, my Little One, but in a few days we will be together again and I promise, you will never miss me again."**

We both hung up. For some reason, we never said goodbye to each other anymore. I didn't know if this was because Marcus had little experience using a phone, or if it was simply because neither of us liked saying goodbye. Goodbye was just so final sounding.

I lay in the field for a another few minutes, then reluctantly headed back to the house. I really hoped Sam and the others had left. I was full and tired and just wanted to go to sleep. Hopefully, I'd dream of Marcus.

To Be Continued...


	21. Babysitter

Sorry it's taken so long to update. Been busy and slightly sick. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

The house was very quiet when I returned. I walked in to find that everyone had left except Carlisle and Esme. I had forgotten how active my family was. They really didn't spend much time at home.

"Feel better?" Carlisle asked, coming down from his den. Esme was outside, but came in to greet me.

"Very much so. It was a mistake to wait so long to hunt. I'm guessing you hear about what happened yesterday with Sam."

"I did. It's not like you to try and pick a fight. At least it wasn't like you before." Carlisle spoke calmly, but I could tell he was worried.

"It's still not like me, except when I neglect my blood intake. I turn into a downright bitch when I don't hunt on a regular basis. I have no bloodlust whatsoever, but I'll pick a fight with the biggest person in the room. The last time it happened I tried to pick a fight with Aro, Marcus and Caius, all at the same time." Carlisle cringed just slightly. "Needless to say, after that fiasco, I make sure to keep myself well fed. I knew better than to do it this time. I was literally a timebomb waiting to explode and the pack's arrival was an excellent catalyst."

I took a seat on the couch and my great grandparents joined me. "I regret some of the things I said to Sam. It was unnecessary and uncalled for."

"Well, you'll get a chance to apologize. Sam's still here. Seth and Leah left, but Sam insisted on staying around while you're here. Said he wants to keep an eye on you." Carlisle said, once again looking worried. Esme didn't look very comfortable, either. "I asked him not to try and hurt you and he agreed, as long as you don't start it. I ask you the same thing. Please don't start anything with Sam."

I smiled up at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, I have no desire to fight with Sam anymore. I'm much calmer now." I yawned, unable to stifle it.

"Why don't you head on up to bed." Esme said, getting up to give me a hug. "Unless you need something to eat."

"I'm fine. I ate more than usual last night, so I should be good for the rest of the day."

I headed upstairs and fell asleep, just as the sun was rising.

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><p>That evening I found myself in a sunny patch in the woods near the house. I had my trusty tablet queued to the englishrussian dictionary and I had the russian novel resting in my lap. This was by far the easiest way to take my mind off things. I was just past halfway through the novel when I left and I was determined to finish at least a few chapters before I headed back home to Italy.

My focus was broken when I heard someone approach me from behind. They were not downwind of me, so I could tell it was Sam. He walked past me, then took a seat a few feet away, facing me.

"**Can I help you?"** I asked, not looking up from my book.

"What?" He asked, confused. I had inadvertently asked my question in Russian.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm reading in Russian. What I said was, can I help you?" I looked up at him, waiting for him to reply. He looked calm at least.

"When did you learn Russian?" He asked, surprised.

"I'm just learning it now. I'm not fluent yet, but I'm getting there. I am fluent in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and Mandarin, though."

Sam's mouth dropped open just a little. "Did you learn all of that over the last five years?"

"Over the last four years, actually. It took a year for Caius to learn to like me enough to get me started. I think he's determined to teach me every language he knows, which is most of them. It's not like I don't have the time to learn."

I looked back down at my book for a minute, then back up at Sam. "What?" I asked. He was just staring at me.

"It's nothing, I just thought, since you're living with...them...that you'd be..."

"I'd be running around terrorizing people, causing chaos, being evil in general?" I answered, placing the bookmark in my book so Sam could have my full attention.

"Well, yeah." Sam replied, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous way.

"It's not like that, Sam. Yes, I live with a large group of vampires. Yes, they are very dangerous. Yes, we all eat the traditional vampire diet. But my life really isn't that different than it was before. I spend most of my days with my nose in a book, learning about literature and science and art and language. I go out shopping and sunbathe on the roof of the complex. I walk through the gardens on sunny days. I take midnight swims and shift into my wolf and run for miles and miles, just because I can. I'm not the insidious monster you think I've become. Things aren't always simply black and white. I'm currently living in a very beautiful shade of grey and I like it."

Sam seemed to mull this over. This was how we should have talked yesterday.

"I have one question for you."

I nodded, eager to answer anything he wished to know.

"Why? Why did you decide to switch to human blood?" He asked his question with genuine curiosity behind it. Any anger from yesterday was gone, or at least well hidden.

"That's a hard question to answer. I was curious, but mostly because something in my brain was telling me I wanted to eat human blood. It's an odd sensation, knowing that something I'm doing should feel wrong, but it doesn't. I keep waiting for the guilt from all those lives I've taken to fall onto my shoulders, but it never does. I can't guarantee I'll always eat this way, but for now..."

"It's a grey area." Sam finished for me, his voice still absent of anger.

"Exactly." I confirmed. "And I'm sorry, for all the things I said yesterday. I was blood starved and I get very bitchy and temperamental when I don't keep up with that. It's no excuse, I was being very inappropriate speaking to you like that and I regret it."

Sam smiled. "I too was a bit beyond my boundaries. I'm sorry. I can't promise that I'll ever be able to accept what has happened to you, but I'll do my best to deal."

Sam got up from his seat and walked away towards my parent's house.

That went better than I thought it would. Now I had two wolves who only mildly disliked me. It was a start.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	22. Up a Tree

Good Day all. Here is the next chapter. Thought I'd throw in a Jasper POV, since I love him so much. And don't worry, Marcus and Ally will be together again, soon enough. I promise. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I love you all.

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><p><strong>Jasper POV<strong>

The sun was down and a full moon was rising when Alice and I got back to the house. We had spent almost the entire day hunting in preparation for the next day. Over the past year, Alice had been helping me with my control and I was finally to the point where I felt almost comfortable going to a movie for the first time in my life. We talked about it and decided to invite Ally to go with us. We figured she needed a nice day away from her worries and I could use the extra security, just in case.

Carlisle was home alone, reading in his den. He looked up when I entered the doorway.

"Come in Jasper, how was the hunt."

I took a seat across from his desk.

"Fine, I feel ready for tomorrow. I can do this."

"Of course you can. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

I smiled. Carlisle had always been very supportive of me during my struggles with control. "Yeah, that's what Alice keeps telling me. I'm actually starting to believe it, though. And speaking of tomorrow, you don't happen to know where Ally is? We were going to ask her if she wanted to go along. Figured she could use the distraction. She's been feeling kind of anxious and worried as of late."

A worried look appeared for just a moment on Carlisle's face before he caught himself. "She went out into the woods this afternoon with a book bag. Said she was gonna do some reading. She hasn't made it back yet."

"Hmm, I'm sure she's fine, but I'll go out and track her down. I wanted to talk to her about some things alone, anyway." I nodded goodbye to Carlisle and headed back downstairs.

Alice was waiting for me by the back door.

"When you find her, see if you can get her to tell you who she's so hung up on. It's driving me crazy." She said, bouncing.

"I'll ask, if you agree to stay here. She's much more likely to talk to me alone." I dashed out the door, already detecting Ally's scent.

"Remember to ask her to the movies, too!" Alice yelled to me.

I just rolled my eyes and let my nose guide me. It didn't take long to find Ally, since she obviously wasn't trying to hide. I stopped at the foot of a large tree. I could see her silhouette hidden by branches and leaves about 25 feet up on a particularly large branch.

"I'm up here." I heard her say before I could inquire. I jumped up, landing softly on the same branch she was sitting on. Her emotions were extremely conflicted at the moment.

"Are you alright?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I'm glad it's you who came out looking for me." She scooted closer to me and I wrapped an arm around her. Even when she was a child, she always seemed to seek me out when she had a problem. Being empathic made me a fairly good psychiatrist. "It's been a very long couple of days."

"Yeah, having a heated confrontation with Sam probably wasn't high up on your todo list yesterday." I joked. If I hadn't been there to calm things down, things might have ended much worse than they did.

"Yeah, I'm not particularly proud of that moment. He just caught me at an extremely bad time. I should never have waited so long to hunt. We talked today, though. He's kinda thinking along the same lines as Dad. He's gonna try to be civil with me, but I doubt things will ever be the same between me and the pack."

"At least there won't be any fights between you. I'm guessing, however, that the situation with Sam isn't the only thing bothering you."

"Damn you and your empathy." Ally said lightly, nudging me with her shoulder. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, I guess I might as well tell you, since the cat will be out of the bag soon anyway."

She turned to face me. I could feel she was nervous and slightly afraid. I sent over a wave of reassurance and she calmed down just a bit.

"Well, there is someone who I'm kinda in a relationship with. It's complicated. I guess I'll start with the who and then work into the details. You guys were assuming it was one of the guard, but it's not." She looked down at her hands. "It's Marcus."

"Wow, that is not who I was expecting. And you do mean Marcus, as in the brother, right?"

"Yeah. But it's not like we've been together for very long, or at all. You know how Marcus can see the bonds between people? Well, he has seen a very strong bond between us since the moment he found me. So strong that he believes it was his gift that guided him to me. He told me this only about two months ago. He didn't want to influence me during the time while I was sorting myself out when he first saved me. He waited until I was comfortable with things to bring it up. He then asked permission to court me, with the intention of someday marrying me."

I sat quietly as she talked. This was almost unbelievable, but after you live for over a century, you start to believe anything. I had questions, but I didn't want to interrupt, since she was being so open.

"I told him yes the day I left Italy to come here."

"So, you really haven't even started the relationship yet."

"We've always been close. He was an amazing friend and support system while I was recovering from my ordeal and beyond, but we've only shared two non-platonic kisses and that's it. That's all there has been time for. I've never been in a real adult relationship like this before and I have no idea what I'm doing, but he has been wonderful. He's been so patient as I sort things out and says we'll go as slow as I want. When I think of him, I just feel..."

She paused, trying to think of the right words, but I could feel what she felt as she thought about him. This made me smile.

"You don't need to say anything, Ally. I can feel what you're feeling. I'd say it's extreme affection bordering very close to love with just the tiniest bit of lust. You're very happy when you think of him."

She blushed, smiling at me shyly. "Extremely happy. Since I've been here, I've found that I miss him more than I thought it was possible to miss someone else. It almost hurts and I don't like it. Apparently, he's not holding up much better than I am. Jane says he's gone all mopey."

"Hmm, from what I've heard about him, he's always mopey, or at least not very responsive to the outside world." I had heard Carlisle speak of Marcus a time or two. We was the least abrasive of the three brothers for no reason other than he just didn't care about anything.

"That's the thing, I've never met that Marcus. He's always been very happy and normal since I've known him. I've been told by several of the guard that he use to be almost comatose, but I've never seen it. They say I'm the reason he's better now. I just can't picture him being as everyone describes."

"Sometimes it takes finding the right person to bring a person to life." I wrapped a supportive arm around her again and she cuddled close next to me. "Why are you so afraid to tell anyone about this?"

"Come on, Uncle Jasper, you don't have to be empathic to know how the family feels. Everyone is accepting the new me, but I know some of them are just waiting for me to come to my senses and come home. If I told them I was more/less engaged to one of the brothers, they'd freak out. If I marry Marcus, I'll be one of the wives. I'll be Volturi leadership. Volturi leadership don't just get up and move away. It's more permanent than that and every single one of you knows it. It might not have crossed any of your minds yet, but as soon as I spill the beans, it will."

I hated to admit it, but she was right. As accepting as all of us were to her now, we were all silently waiting for her to change her mind. Almost all of us had gone through a time when we deviated from the vegetarian path, but we always came back around to Carlisle's way of thinking eventually. If she married Marcus, she'd be lost to us forever. She's still be in our lives, still a part of the family, but it would never be the same.

"Oh, Ally. You carry too many crosses for someone so young." I hugged her reassuringly.

"The best and worst part is that Marcus is coming here."

I pulled away from her just enough to look into her eyes. "When?"

"He said he'd be here within the week. He's tired of just hearing about all the things happening to me. He wants to be able to support me with more than just a phone call."

I hugged her again and this time, she hugged me back. "Well, I don't know about everyone else, but if he feels for you, what you feel for him, then you've got my blessing. Though, I will miss having you around. It was almost unbearable when we lost you the first time. You are my niece, my family, in every way but blood and I will always be there if you need me."

We sat like that for several minutes, but we both turned our heads as we heard someone approach. It was Alice.

"What are you two doing up there?" She said happily, jumping up the tree and joining us on the branch. She gave Ally a quizzical look. "And way are you crying?" She looked over to me. "What did you say to her?"

"It's not his fault. He's just being all sentimental and sappy, Aunt Alice."

Alice sat down next to Ally, swinging her legs happily. "So, are you coming with us tomorrow? It'll be fun."

"Where?" Ally asked. With all the serious talk, I had yet to ask her about the movie.

"You didn't ask her?" Alice pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was getting to it."

Alice smiled big. "You are going to the movies with Jasper and I tomorrow."

Ally's brow wrinkled. "I am? Wait..." She looked at Alice, then turned to me. "...have you ever been to the movies before? I know it use to be one of the places you avoided, for obvious reasons."

"No, this will be the first time. Alice has been helping me with my control and we both think I'm ready to try this. We thought it might be a nice distraction for you and if, god forbid, I do try something, you'll be there to help."

"We certainly don't want you trying to eat the poor kid with the bloody nose." Ally joked.

"So, you'll come with?" Alice was bouncing again.

"Yes, I think a movie is just what I need right now."

"Excellent!" She jumped down from the tree, with Ally and I right behind her. "So, who are you seeing back in Italy? You told Jasper, didn't you?"

"Maybe, but I'm not telling you. It's gonna be hard enough keeping it from Grandpa Edward as it is. Don't worry, Alice, all will be revealed soon."

"Woo Hoo." Alice sprinted off towards the house.

Ally turned to me and sighed. "It's nice to see some things never change."

I laughed out loud and Ally joined me. She shouldered her book bag and we sprinted after Alice.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	23. Tension

Good Morning all you beautiful Fanfiction junkies! Here is the next chapter. Things are gonna start getting interesting now with Marcus joining Ally. Hope you like. Thanks so very much to everyone who is reading and reviewing.

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

I had told Allyssa I would be there in a few days, but very little seemed more important than my Little one, so I ended up dropping everything and leaving that night. I brought Jane, Alec and Felix with me, just in case the Cullen's started something, which I doubted. I was more concerned about the werewolves. I'd have little problem exterminating the whole lot of them, but Allyssa would most certainly dislike the action and upsetting her would be a foolish way to start our courtship.

In preparation of our arrival, I had rented a large house within running distance from the Cullen's estate. I had no idea how much longer Ally planned on staying with her family, so I wished to be comfortable. I also planned on asking her to stay with me for the remainder of her visit. I doubted I'd have much trouble convincing her, since I was almost positive she missed me as much as I missed her. Besides, I could tell from her last phone call that she was beginning to get uncomfortable around her old family and telling them about us would, more than likely, cause an even wider rift.

"You're awfully quiet, master." Jane observed as we drove the few miles between our rented house and the Cullen's permanent one. I hadn't called ahead of time, so our arrival would be a surprise. I decided it best if we arrived by motorized vehicle, rather than run the short distance. It was much less threatening. After All, we weren't here to kill anyone. This wasn't an inquisition, it was more of a combining of families. For once, we come in peace and, hopefully, would leave in peace.

"I'm merely contemplating how our arrival will be received and if it will prove to be a mistake to arrive unannounced." I sat in the front of the large SUV, gazing out the heavily tinted window. Felix drove, while the siblings sat in the back. This really was a peculiar way to travel. I much prefered running.

I could feel my excitement building as we got closer to our destination. I couldn't help but smile. Excitement was a feeling I did not experience very often. I suspected I would have to get use to the sensation, having Ally in my life. I was pulled from my musing when we reach the house.

"Well, looks like our arrival wasn't as surprising as we thought." Felix commented as we pulled up. Standing out in front of the house was most of Carlisle's coven, along with two very large wolves. A couple of vampires were missing, including Allyssa.

This was going to be interesting.

**Jasper POV**

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as Alice, Ally and I drove home from the movies. I now understood why humans loved them so much. It was definitely an experience I would have to repeat often. And, fortunately, it looked like I might be able to.

The experiment had been a success. I made it through the entire show without even a glimpse of the old monster I was trying to banish. There was even a kid there with a bloody nose and I didn't even have to leave the theater. This was a giant step.

"I'm so proud of you, babe." Alice said, smiling at me from the passenger side seat. "This test opens up all kinds of fun stuff we can do together."

Ally leaned up from the back seat, resting on the console between the seats. "The big question is, how did you like the movie?"

"It was excellent. I now understand why so many humans love going to the movies. Action is just so much better on a big screen with surround sound. I can't wait until the next one."

"This is..." Alice trailed off as she started to have one of her visions. Ally and I both looked at her, worried. I pulled the car over to the side of the road. Ally was more worried than she looked. She had been waiting for Alice to have a vision of Marcus arriving, but with all the preparations for this trip, Alice hadn't been focusing very hard on seeing the future and she really wasn't in the mindset to watch Marcus, anyway. Ally had been watching Alice like a timebomb.

The vision only lasted a couple of seconds. It was much shorter than her usual visions. "The Volturi are on their way to the house. I lost the vision once they got close, Jacob and Sam must be there. I couldn't tell who it was specifically, but it was definitely Volturi and they are there now."

I immediately got the car back on the road and sped towards home. I could feel Ally's worry increase.

"I thought he'd take a little longer to get here. I didn't want to be away from the house when he arrived, that's for sure." Ally said quietly, sitting back.

Alice turned all the way around in her seat, so she could see Ally fully. "Who? Did you know they were coming?"

"It's Marcus and probably a few members of the guard. He told me he'd be here within the week, but I thought he'd call when he arrived."

Alice was quiet for a couple of seconds, or more accurately, the time it took for her to piece the puzzle together in her head.

"Holy shit." She exclaimed. "You're not seeing one of the guard. You're seeing Marcus!"

I looked into the rearview mirror and saw Ally take a deep breath and tilt her head down towards the floor of the car. "I'm not really seeing him. At least not yet. He's been an amazing friend for the last five years and he just expressed his interest in having more than a friendship with me about two months ago. How did he put it...He said he would start courting me properly once I returned home."

"Hold on a second, Ally. You said he's going to court you? This isn't just some modern dating is it? If he's courting you, it means he's already asked for your hand. Which means..."

Ally looked up into Alice's eyes.

"That Marcus already asked me to marry him and I said yes. The engagement isn't actually official, yet, but it will be, once I'm ready. He's kinda old fashioned. " Ally couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Her feelings were almost tangible. Alice, on the other hand, was in shock. Or would be, if it were possible for vampires to go into shock.

Alice turned around and sat back down. "Wow, that explains why you were working so hard to keep Edward in the dark. It's not gonna be pretty when your parents and grandparents find out." She looked over to me. "You knew already, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Ally told me last night. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"And how do you feel about it?" She asked me.

"She loves him. It may not be deep love yet, but it's genuine. He makes her happy. I've reserved final judgment for after I get some feelings off of him, but if he feels the same way, Ally has my blessing."

Alice sighed, thinking my words over. "Then she has mine too." Alice looked at Ally and smiled. "I've learned to trust Jasper's judgment on affairs of the heart or where feelings are involved. This is huge, though. Not everyone in the family will be as open minded as we are."

"Tell me about it!" Ally replied. "Why do you think I've kept this to myself. Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma are all going to disown me. At least it's good to know I won't lose the entire family over this."

Alice turned and took Ally's hand. "Don't worry. Things will work out." She looked over to me, slightly worried. "You might want to speed just a little bit more and get us back fast, anyway. It would be nice if things worked out and everyone stayed alive."

I nodded, flooring the gas pedal.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	24. The Truth Comes Out

Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up. Damn real life and its responsibilities! Anyway, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I even got a few longer reviews, which is excellent. Thanks to everyone who takes the time. Also, thanks to everyone who is reading, even if you don't review.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. The next couple of chapters will be very Marcus/Ally oriented. Enjoy. (Also, if you see Alex instead of Alec, just ignore it. My computer likes to reject the name Alec for some reason.)

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

We pulled up to the house to find Jane and Alec having a stare down with my father and Sam, both in wolf form. The siblings were actually very calm, all things considered, but Sam and Dad looked like they might attack at any moment.

I jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop and rushed in between the two parties. I kept my back to Jane and Alec, holding a hand out to the wolves. This action seemed to surprise several members of my family. It was obvious that I was there in defense of the Volturi.

"Don't you dare try to pick a fight with them!" I ordered the wolves firmly. I didn't want to have to shift, but I would if they tried anything. Needless to say, if it came to a fight, I made it clear whose side I'd be on.

Edward spoke up. "Sam says they won't attack as long as they don't try anything."

I looked down at Sam. "Much appreciated." I then turned to Jane, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm proud to see that you're actually managing to control yourself."

Jane giggled, then jumped into my arms, almost knocking me over. This action also shocked my family. I bet none of them had a chance to meet the giggly, fun Jane I knew and loved.

"I've missed you so much, Al. You have no idea how horribly boring home is without you. I haven't had a decent conversation since you've been gone!"

I laughed with her. "Please. You mean you haven't had anyone around who is willing to listen to your stories of the battlefield for the billionth time."

"That too." She confessed.

I moved on to Alec, who gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the check.

Felix remained still, leaning against the black SUV they had arrived in. His face was serious as I approach him and I gave him my best blank look back. We held this for several seconds until finally I cracked a smile and so did he. He picked my up into a hug, lifting me off the ground.

"You miss me too, big guy?"

He simply laughed in his deep, booming voice. I kissed him on the cheek, then returned to Jane's side. "So, where'd Marcus go off to?"

"He left to talk privately with Carlisle. He ordered us to behave and not start a fight."

I nodded with a sigh. I looked over at my family. I had a feeling that some of them wanted to comment on my reaction to the members of the guard standing before them, but before anything could be said, Marcus and Carlisle emerged from the forest.

"Not a chance in hell!" Edward said sternly, obviously reading Marcus's intentions out of his mind.

The truth was out, so I didn't hesitate to rush over to Marcus. He welcomed me into his arms and for the first time since I had arrived in Montana, I truly relaxed. We didn't speak a word to each other. We didn't have to. After a few moments, I pulled away from him just enough to see what he was wearing. I pulled away from him fully, shocked.

"Holy shit, Marcus, are those jeans you're wearing? I've never seen you wear jeans before." I looked him up and down. He was wearing a pair of well worn blue jeans, a dark blue, long sleeved button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that hung low down his back. He looked young and modern, but still sophisticated. I could feel my heartbeat speed up just a bit. Stupid heart.

"I wished to surprise you." He replied, looking deep into my eyes.

"Well, you succeeded. You look amazing."

He chuckled. "My looks pale in comparison to yours. You are stunning, as always." He took my hand and kissed it gently. It was then that I heard Emmett clear his throat. I had completely forgotten that we were not alone.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked, looking first at me, then at Carlisle.

Carlisle sighed. "Marcus just asked permission to start courting Allyssa. He wishes to seek her hand."

I heard a synchronized growl come from Dad, Sam and Grandpa Edward. "You most certainly do not have permission!" Edward said, probably translating for my father and speaking his own opinion at the same time.

I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest as I turned to face them. "As if any of you have a right to say no. Marcus was merely asking as a courtesy. He asked my permission a couple of months back and I've already said yes. He just knows I'd like to have the blessing of as much of my family as I can get, but it's not a requirement."

Edward turned to Carlisle. "You gave your blessing?"

"Edward." Carlisle said calmly. "Ally is an adult and very much capable of deciding her own future. The last time we tried to deny her an opinion, we lost her. I refuse to make that same mistake again. If Marcus makes her happy, then I will support her decision."

Everyone was speechless. Even Esme. Jasper smiled, approaching me. He looked closely at Marcus, reading his emotions. Jane watched Jasper critically and prepared to defend Marcus, knowing that Jasper was by far the most dangerous of my old family. Fortunately, Jasper simply nodded his head, turning to me and enveloping me into a hug. I didn't have to ask. Jasper had just confirmed that my emotions and Marcus's matched.

"Thanks Uncle Jasper." I said, returning his hug.

"You just be careful." He released me and returned to Alice. Alice was smiling, but I could still see she was worried. Edward was giving both of them a look of death. Mom and Bella both just looked numb, like they didn't know how to react.

I cleared my throat to break the tension. "Anyway, I'm gonna leave with Marcus and give you guys a chance to...discuss...what just happened. I, quite honestly, don't want to hear it and refuse to be here for it."

Esme gasped softly.

"I'll come back in the morning." I reassured her. "I promise I won't leave without saying goodbye. I couldn't' do that to any of you, no matter what happened in the past. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Marcus guided me to the passenger side of the SUV, holding the door for me. I got in and moments later, he jumped into the driver's side. I didn't even know he could drive. He started the car and backed out of the driveway.

"What about the others?" I asked, confused, since Jane, Alec and Felix didn't get into the car with us. I looked around outside to find the guard already gone.

"They will meet back up with us later. I wished to have some time alone with you."

I looked back at my family as we pulled away. I really was sorry things had to be this way.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	25. Reactions

Hello all! I know everyone wants more Ally/Marcus goodness, but I needed to throw in this chapter to help the storyline in the future. Particularly with Jacob's opinion. I promise the next couple of chapters after this one will not disappoint. Hope you enjoy anyway.

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><p><strong>Nessie POV<strong>

The day Allyssa ran away was the worst day of my life. We had no idea she knew about all the arguments we were having about her health. We were so busy thinking of her as a child that we didn't stop to realize that she wasn't one and hadn't been one for years, regardless of her true physical age. She had a right to be mad and I hated to say it, but she also had a right to leave.

I was conflicted when I heard that Ally was still alive. I was so happy she had managed to survive her ordeal, but the news about her involvement with the Volturi hit me hard. It hit Jake even harder. These were the people who had tried to kill everyone I knew and loved, including myself, for nothing more than a power play in disguise. Now my daughter was a part of them. She lived happily among them. That bothered me more than anything, including her human blood consumption. She could eat anything she wanted, if she'd just agree to leave the Volturi.

It was only a dream, but at least I still had hope that it could come true. Or at least I had hope until I saw her with Marcus. You could tell that they loved each other, without the help of Dad's telepathy or Uncle Jasper's empathy. You could just see it in their movement, in the way they responded to each other. I didn't know if it was some kind of imprinting, like with Jake and I, but it was a powerful bond, nonetheless.

I was able to hold it together until they left, but as soon as Ally was out of sight, I fell to me knees. Mom tried to console me, and Jake whimpered, pressing his wolfy body against my side, but I was not ready to be rational. I was losing my daughter and I couldn't deal with it.

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><p><strong>Jacob POV<strong>

I was going to rip the head off that fucking bloodsucker, burn him to ash and love every minute of it. Over 3 thousand years old or not, he was going to die...again. Sam and I could do it easily.

It would already be done if he hadn't rolled up with three members of his guard in tow. Bella had told me about the Volturi guard and all the powers they had the first time we had to deal with them. Even with her here as a shield, our chances of getting to one of the head leeches was not good.

Where did he think he got the right to ask for Allyssa's hand anyway? Who the fuck did that these days? This leech had to be playing an angle and like hell was I going to allow my only daughter to get mixed up with him and his.

I had been quiet so far, as Ally paraded around as if she could possibly be happy living with those evil butchers. I thought she would eventually come back to us. She was a good person and would eventually figure out that what she was doing was wrong. She's too young to fully understand what she's doing, but some day her maturity would kick in and she'd return to us with open arms.

This leech was trying to take her away from us forever. If she married him, she'd be permanently attached to the packs greatest enemy. For the first time in a very long while, I was incapable of phasing back to human. I had tried when Nessie fell to her knees, crying. I desperately wanted to help console her. To tell my wife that it wasn't too late. That we weren't going to lose Ally. Unfortunately, I was stuck like this until I calmed down and I doubted that would be anytime soon. Even seeing Nessie in this state didn't calm the fire enough.

All I could do was whimper and nuzzle her in my wolfy form, hoping she understood.

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><p><strong>Bella POV<strong>

I hugged Nessie as she cried, but said nothing.

I was terrified of the Volturi, like all vampires should be, but had come to terms with my sweet granddaughter being one of them. Even after Marcus showed up, wanting permission to marry her, I still found myself in fairly good terms with it.

I should have been angry or sad or something, but all I felt was numb, like this was some kind of twisted dream I would eventually wake up from.

Aro must be loving this. He had tried to convince several of us to join him, multiple times, to no avail. Now, the youngest of us was joining his ranks with a smile on her lips and happiness in her heart. I despised Aro and always would. Marcus, however, I was unsure about.

He had been the most mysterious of the brothers. He simply acted like he was bored, like he didn't care about anything. The Marcus who showed up at our doorstep today was someone new. He was dressed in normal human clothes, which made him look like a respectable person. He was polite, sophisticated and downright handsome. Exactly how someone asking to marry your granddaughter should look.

And he certainly acted like he loved her. Jasper only confirm it.

I wanted Ally happy, but at what cost?

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><p><strong>Edward POV<strong>

At first I was furious.

My granddaughter was not marrying into Voturi leadership. Absolutely not.

As I watched Ally leave and Nessie collapse, I began to think more critically about it.

Did I hate the Volturi? Yes, definitely. They had nearly taken everything and everyone I care about away from me. Did I hate Marcus? My view was a bit cloudier on that one. Yes, he was one of the brothers, but was he the one who tried to kill us?

I had to admit that no, he wasn't. Aro was to blame for all of the history our coven had with his. Marcus's thoughts were nothing but pure when it came to his feelings for Ally. And even if he could fake his thoughts to me, he couldn't fake his feelings.

Jasper had done a full scan of Marcus and his feelings were genuine. They would have to be for Jasper to give them his blessing. He loved Ally just as much as the rest of us and would willingly die fighting Marcus if he was not being truthful. And it wasn't like Marcus could lie to Ally anyway, with her gift.

As much as I hated it, if this was what would make Allyssa happy, how could I object?

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><p>To Be Continued...<p>

That wasn't so bad, was it? LOL Let me know what you think. Thanks again for all the reads and reviews...I love you people!


	26. Not Alone

Just a little Marcus/Ally goodness for your thursday morning...Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

Allylssa was still and quiet as we drove away from her family's home. It wasn't until almost ten minutes had passed that she began to tremble and a few tears slide down her cheek.

I took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Are you alright, Little One?"

Ally leaned her head back against the seat. "No, I'm not." She said sternly. "I'm pissed off." She lifted her head and looked at me. "What gives them the right to try to stop me from seeing you? As far as I'm concerned, they lost that right the moment they refused to let me decide my own fate 5 years ago. Do they think I'm still a child? Have I not proven that I can make my own choices?"

"They do not like the choices you've made. It makes them not trust your ability to make rational decisions. But not all your family members were against it. Carlisle gave his blessing and your uncle seemed supportive."

Ally smiled. "Uncle Jasper is the empath. I told him about you last night. He told me that if you felt for me, the way I feel for you, even just a little bit, that I'd have his blessing. By the way he reacted after reading you, I'd say your feelings must mirror mine. Alice will follow Jasper's lead, she might not like it much, but she'll go along with it, as long as it makes me happy. And Esme will more than likely side with Carlisle. As for everyone else, I don't know. I knew my parents and grandparents would be unhappy, but to openly object, without hearing any of the story..." Ally dropped her head into her hands.

I drove just a little further, pulling off the road and down a driveway surrounded completely by trees. The house it belonged to appeared to be abandoned. I turned off the car and opened my door. "Follow me." I told Ally. She gave me a confused look, but didn't hesitate to follow.

I walked to the front of the car and waited for Ally to join me. As soon as she was in arms reach, I pulled her to me. I kissed her gently, wrapping my arms around her. She snaked her arms around my neck while I deepened the kiss. I was enjoying the feel of her lips on mine so much that I wished for this moment to continue forever. Several minutes later, but all too soon, she pulled away, allowing herself a moment to breathe. Her cheeks were flushed red, she was breathing heavily and her heart was racing. I smiled down at her. I did enjoy her reaction to my kiss.

"Nothing is important except this." I looked deep into her eyes and she didn't look away. "You and I. Everything else is just decoration. Meaningless chatter. White noise. What we have, right here, right now, is what's important. There is nothing anyone can do or say to change how I feel for you. I love you Allyssa." I ran my hand down her cheek, wiping away the last remnants of her former tears. "I love you more than I thought it possible to love another being and that is all that will ever matter to me."

Ally began to cry again, but this time she was smiling too.

"I do hope those are happy tears?" I said, matching her smile with my own.

She chuckled. "They're more than that. They're tears of love. They mean I am confident that I made the right choice with you. They mean the only person I absolutely need in my life is you. Anyone else who decides to come along for the ride is just extra color on an already glorious painting."

I pulled her to me once again. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

We stood, just holding each other for several minutes. Neither of us wanted to let go, but the sun began to sink closer and closer to the treeline. The day was wearing on and we needed to continue. As if hearing my thoughts, Ally's stomach growled, making us both laugh.

"I'm guessing you're hungry." I said, pulling back from Ally, leaning against the car.

She blushed and nodded. "I've been so full from my overindulging on blood a couple of nights ago that I haven't eaten much solid food."

I took her hand, kissing it softly, then led her back to the passenger side door. "On that note, we'll swing by the town and get you something to eat, then go to the house."

"House?" She asked, once I had joined her in the car.

"Yes, I rented a house for us. I did not know how much longer you planned to stay here and since I've made it very clear that I will not be leaving without you, I figured we'd need a comfortable place to stay until we are ready to return to Italy."

"OK then, food then home." She said, finally relaxing into her seat.

"Your wish is my command." I said, pulling out of the driveway.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	27. Temptation

Good Morning all you beautiful fanfiction readers out there! Here is the next chapter. I've been sick, so this update took longer than I intended. I really liked writing this chapter. I hope you have has much fun reading it. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

Marcus drove us to town and waited patiently as I ate my burger and fries. I didn't feel much like a fancy meal and I really wasn't in the mood for being in public, so we stuck with the fast food route. Once I was full, we drove out to the house Marcus had rented for us.

The house wasn't too far from my family's place. It was close enough to be runable, but not so close that we had to worry about any surprise visitors. It was big and open and beautiful. It had far too many bedrooms and bathrooms for its occupants, considering that I was the only one needing either type of room, but I loved it all the same.

After a quick tour of the place, I retired to the master bathroom for a nice, long, hot bath. It had been a stressful day and what I needed most was to unwind. Marcus had brought with him quite a bit of my wardrobe from home, so I had my pick of night-clothes. I picked a plain gray babydoll t-shirt and a pair of fluffy pink shorts. Not the sexiest number, but by far the most comfortable.

I strolled into the bedroom and stopped short in the doorway, my jaw almost hitting the ground. Marcus was lying on his back on the bed reading a book. The part that caused me to pause, however, was what he was wearing, or not wearing, I guess was more accurate. He was clothed in a pair of black boxer shorts and a plain white t-shirt and nothing else. His long hair was free again, hanging loose around his shoulders, still damp from his shower. He smiled up at me, placing the book on the nightstand.

"Like what you see?" He asked seductively, stretching out as if to display himself better.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly to help calm my racing heart. "Um...yeah, definitely, yes. I only have one question. Who are you and what have you done with Marcus? First jeans, and now boxer shorts and t-shirts?"

Marcus laughed musically, not taking his eyes off me. He patted the bed next to him and I managed to pick my jaw up off the floor long enough to join him. He scooted close to me, not quite touching. We lay on our sides, looking at each other.

"It was brought to my attention that you might like seeing me in more modern attire. I haven't dressed to look the age I was when I was turned in centuries. Let's call It my first attempt at flirting with you. I haven't flirted with a woman for a very long time either, so I fear I might be a bit rusty."

"No, you're not at all rusty. You're doing a very good job." I said breathlessly. "I liked the jeans and I really like this." I couldn't stop myself from looking him over again.

He laughed lightly. Even his laugh was seductive. I had lived with vampires my entire life, but this was the first time one had turned his powers of seduction on me. It was no wonder they never had to worry about attracting prey. If I were human, I'd gladly let him drink my blood. At least I'd die happy.

Marcus cleared his throat and gave me a more serious look, to help break his hold on me. "I want you to understand, though, that I'm not trying to force you into anything. I know you have never had an adult relationship before, which means you probably have no experienced with physical intimacy, either."

I nodded in agreement, lowering my gaze, slightly embarrassed. I had never even had a boyfriend before, let alone any kind of sexual experience.

Marcus placed a finger under my chin and pointed my eyes so I was looking into his. "There is nothing wrong with being inexperienced. You're young. We'll wait until you're ready. I promise your first time, our first time together, will be special." He ran his hand down my cheek gently. "So, until you're ready, let me know if I ever go too far or do something you're not ready for. I will never be mad at you for saying no. OK?"

I smiled at him, nodding, since I didn't trust me voice at the moment. Damn him for being sweet and sappy and not to mention, gorgeous.

I took another moment to look him up and down. I needed to change the topic and lighten the atmosphere of the room before my heart jumped out of my chest.

"Do I really look that good?" He joked, turning on his seductive smile once again.

I laughed. "Yes, you do, but I'm just taking a few extra mental photographs to use just in case my grandfather starts poking around in my head."

Marcus laughed out loud. "You are being very diabolical, my love. It's a very attractive quality." He ran his hand slowly down my arm, causing goosebumps to form and making me shiver.

I shutter. "I must be hanging out with Jane too much. She's starting to rub off on me." Marcus seemed to be deep in thought, chuckling at my joke.

"That's not a bad thing, necessarily. I have an idea. Would you be interested in taking a few more mental photos for your grandfather's benefit?" Marcus was now on his hands and knees, looking down at me like a jungle cat over his prey.

I was trembling, but not with fear. Intrigued, I gave Marcus a suspicious look. "What do you have in mind?"

Marcus pushed me back onto the bed, placing one knee between my legs and the other next to my right leg. He half laid on me, supporting his weight on his arms on either side of my head. He leaned in and kissed me gently. He didn't try to intensify the kisses, they were very soft and leisurely.

After a minute or two, he stopped the kissing and gave me a wicked smile, pushing himself onto his knees. He took his shirt off with one swift motion, throwing it on the floor next to the bed.

I could feel my heart speed up even faster than it was. I had never seen Marcus shirtless before. All I could do was stare up at him, mesmerized. I knew I wasn't ready to have sex with him yet, but damn if he wasn't making me reconsider. Waiting really was overrated, right?

"Remember, if I go too far, let me know."

I nodded, once again at a loss for words. I had no idea what he had planned next, but I couldn't wait to find out. I had to fight not to reach up and touch his now exposed skin.

Marcus started around my stomach and slowly slinked up my body, allowing his body to rub up against mine ever so lightly, until he was once again face to face with me, his arms holding up his weight easily. He started kissing me, but this time, his kisses here forceful and passionate. I placed my hands on his back, exploring tentatively. I then moved around to the front, feeling his bare chest. He was well built, but not too muscular. His upper body was like marble; smooth, hard and cold to the touch and I couldn't get enough. For my efforts, I received a soft moan from the man above me. Like his laugh, it was musical and made my whole body tingle in a very good way.

I could feel him run his hand up my side, under my shirt. His touch was slow and soft and he managed to not touch anything too intimate. The temperature difference between our bodies only added to the experience.

"You can touch a little bit more, if you'd like." I offered, almost desperate for his touch. I couldn't believe this man had this much control over me. At this moment, if Marcus asked, I'd let him do just about anything. He laughed at my comment.

"Thanks for the offer, my dear, but not tonight. I won't let momentary passion cloud your judgment. This will be far enough for now, but don't you worry. We will have plenty of moments like this in our future. I'm not stopping because I don't want to explore further, it's just if I do much more, I might not be able to stop myself. Even my control is not infinite."

I moaned at the thought, unable and unwilling to stop myself. This caused Marcus to close his eyes and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You have no idea how much I love hearing that sound come from your lips."

I gave him my own seductive smile, trying to do to him what he did to me. "Good to know." I said. I was half vampire, after all, if he could be all sexy and irresistible, so could I.

It took him a few moments to calm himself enough to open his eyes. "Enough of that. We're looking to give your grandfather a reason not to look into your head, not give him a reason to try to kill me."

I laughed and so did he. He rolled onto his back, pulling me along with him so I was resting comfortably on his bare chest. I sighed, suddenly very tired.

"I could stay like this forever." I said, truly content.

"So could I, Little One, so could I." Marcus agreed, holding me tight.

Moments later, I was fast asleep.

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><p>To Be continued...<p> 


	28. Committee

Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been insanely busy and I've had a very sick family member to worry about. Here is the next chapter.

For this story, I used the concept that very old vampires gain power and strength as they age, making a vampire such as Marcus extremely hard to kill. Essentially, vampires as old as the Volturi brothers are extremely dangerous all by themselves without the guard. It's not exactly true to the Twilight universe, but it makes me happy and makes future chapters in this story work better. Just keep that in mind when you read.

Many thanks to those who are reading and even bigger thanks to those who review. I love reading them so very much. Keep it up!

Enough of my rambling, on with the show.

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><p><strong>Carlisle POV<strong>

I sat in the living room thinking about what just happened as I waited for my family to assemble. We had waited for over an hour for Jacob to calm down enough to phase back to human, to no avail. We finally had to have Jasper force him to calm down.

Today did not go the way I had planned. I had hoped to have a nice calm day with the family. So much for that idea.

I knew something was going to happen when Sam and Jake ran up to the house saying they smelled Volturi in the area. The news really didn't surprise me. I had figured that Aro would eventually send someone over to collect Ally. She was far too valuable to him to have her stay with us for long.

What did surprise me was that the Volturi guard rolled up in a SUV, and Marcus was with them. This was not their style. What also surprised me was how Marcus was dressed. He was dressed down to the point that he looked like a normal human in his early thirties. I had never seen any of the brothers dress in this fashion. Something was going on, and I had a sneaky suspicion as to what it was.

From the very beginning Ally had spoken highly of Marcus. He was the first person to call to check in on her. Keeping track of a member of the guard, no matter how favored, was not usually the responsibility of one of the brothers. Jasper also told us she had very strong feelings for someone and she was hiding it from Edward with her Russian novel recitations. If her affections were for a member of the guard, she wouldn't be trying so hard to hide his identity.

It all made sense now in hindsight, but it wasn't until Marcus told me in person of his intentions that I put the puzzle together.

I gave him my blessing for the match. What else could I do? He spoke to me not as one of the most powerful vampires in the world, but as a young man, looking to marry into my coven. It was a very odd feeling, knowing the Volturi brothers as I do.

I pulled myself from my musing once the entire family was present, including Sam. This was not going to go well.

"I don't see what we need to discuss." Jasper started as he leaned against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "She loves him and he loves her even more. More importantly, Marcus makes Ally happy. Besides, it's not up to us to decide for her."

Jake scoffed. "She's not happy! She's confused! She doesn't understand what she's getting into. She's too young to understand."

"She's almost 21, Jake, she's not a child. Mentally, she hasn't been a child for a very long time. She understands perfectly what she's doing." Bella replied.

"Not you too! I can't believe you're taking their side! For god sakes, your granddaughter is going to marry a man who tried to have you killed on multiple occasions and you're alright with that?" Jake was standing in Bella's face. I could tell the only reason he was still human was because Jasper was forcing it.

Nessie spoke up before Bella could reply.

"She's not siding with them, Jake. She's being realistic. Ally will do what she wants, regardless of what we think or feel. We lost the right to make decisions for her a long time ago. There is nothing we can do."

Jake was pacing up and down the living room. "Oh, no, no, no, there is something we can do. We can kill the leech. She can't marry him if he's dead."

I sighed. "Jacob, you can't kill Marcus. Even if you got him alone, I doubt even the entire pack could kill him. Vampires gain power with age and I'm not talking about a vampire's gifts. Vampires like Aro, Marcus and Caius don't have the guard around them to protect themselves. They have the guard to use as a weapon and source of amusement. They are literally above fighting their own battles."

"You and the pack would be slaughtered. They might even take out La Push, just to be sure the shapeshifter bloodline is wiped out completely. Attacking Marcus would only cause bloodshed." Edward added, sadly.

Jacob threw his arms up in frustration. "Fine, there is nothing we can do. I can't stay here and watch this. I refuse to!" He walked up to Jasper. "Turn your mojo off."

Jasper held onto his control. Jake grabbed him by the shirt.

"Turn...it...off...or I'll make you turn it off!" He yelled, still holding onto Jasper. For his part, Jasper remained cool and collected. Good thing for Jake, since Jasper could have taken Jake down if he really wanted to. Jasper was, by far, the most dangerous person in the room.

Jasper looked over to me. I nodded and I could feel Jasper's calming influence leave the room. Jake released his shirt then sprinted out of the room, shifting only moments after leaving the house.

With a sigh, Sam walked up to Nessie and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry." He then released her and turned to me. "I'll go with him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Thank you Sam."

He nodded and followed his packmate out the door.

"So, there really is nothing we can do." Emmett stated, holding Rosalie close.

I looked up at my son. "All we can do is support her decisions. They aren't truly engaged yet, but the more time they spend together, the closer they'll get. Marcus saw a bond between them. It's what led him to her in the first place. He told me it was a bond like nothing he's ever seen."

"The closer they get, the harder she's gonna fall for him." Alice added. "And the harder he'll fall for her, I guess."

"I bet they'll be engaged officially in a year, probably less." Rose said, clinging to Emmett's arm.

"I don't think there is anything else to say." Esme finally spoke up, getting up from her seat next to me. She had remained oddly quiet during the whole scene. "She is family and we will support her as we would anyone in this family."

With that said, she moved out of the room. It was unusual for my wife to be the last voice in a debate, but obviously she had had enough of the present conversation. The family broke up, going about their own ways. No doubt they would all return in the morning when Ally returned.

All except for Jacob, of course. I honestly didn't know when we'd see him again.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	29. Human Drama

****Chapter 29 is up. Thanks for all the reviews. I love that you love this story. Keep them coming and enjoy...

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I didn't want to wake up in the morning. I was sure everything that had happened was just an amazing dream and I would wake up in my childhood bed, surrounded by vampires who didn't quite know what to do with me. It took me a few minutes for my brain to register that my usual soft pillow had been replaced with one that was very hard and cold. Suddenly, realization hit me that none of it was a dream. My eyes flew open and I looked up into Marcus's gorgeous red eyes. He had a truly blissful smile on his face.

"Well, good morning beautiful. How did you sleep?". He asked, running a hand gently down my cheek. His touch made me tremble and my breath hitched just a little.

"Better than I've ever slept in my entire life, I think. Did you stay here the whole night?"

Marcus nodded. "I was going to go hunt, but I couldn't bring myself to leave you. I was enjoying watching you sleep too much to disturb you by moving."

I smiled up at him, humming contentedly to myself. "I do enjoy waking up and finding you looking back at me."

"In that case, I promise to be there when you wake as often as I can manage it. I see now that watching you sleep will rapidly become one of my favorite activities." He leaned down and kissed me gently. "I do, however, need to hunt and since I agreed to leave the state, per Carlisle's request, I will be leaving shortly with Felix and Alec. Jane will remain here with you and will go with you to see your family, if you wish to see them before I return."

I thought about it and nodded. "I think it best. I'd like the opportunity to gage their reaction to all this without you there." Marcus gave me a worried look. "It'll be OK, Marcus. They won't hurt me and even if something were to happen, Jane will be there to protect me."

"You are right, of course, my love." He hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head. "It will take some getting use to, seeing you as my mate and trying not to worrying about your safety when I'm not there to take care of you."

"You don't need to worry about me...". I smiled up at him. "...but I kinda like the idea of you taking care of me. How terrible is that?"

Marcus laughed lightly. "Not terrible at all. You deserve to be taken care of and I am beyond happy you have decided to let me be the man to do it. Your happiness and safety are now, and will always be, my highest priority."

I turned around to face Marcus, hugging him properly. He returned the hug and I sighed a happy, content sigh. I didn't need to be an empath to know that he was just as happy as I was. It felt amazing. Love felt amazing. After a few minutes, Marcus released me from the hug. "I must leave now, Little One. I'll return as quickly as I can."

I waved a hand at him. "Don't rush. Enjoy your hunt. Everything will be fine while you're gone."

Marcus got up from the bed, but leaned down and kissed me one last time before quickly putting on some clothes and heading towards the door. "I'll take my phone with me, just in case." He left the room and moments later I could hear him telling Jane to watch over me. Then the three guys left the house. Within seconds, Jane was upstairs, bouncing on the bed next to me. She really was an excitable thing. It was sometimes easy to forget she was a vampire.

"So, how did it go? How was he?" She asked, continuing to bounce on the bed, a cheeky smile on her face.

I looked at her, confused. "What do you mean, how was he?"

Jane stopped bouncing. "Oh, come on Ally! It's just us girls here now. You can dish about Marcus with me."

"We didn't have sex, Jane. There was just some kissing and mild, PG-13 petting and that's all. I'm not ready for that and he's willing to wait until I'm ready, so sorry, nothing to dish about." I was laying on my back, looking up at the ceiling with my hands gently resting on my stomach. Jane sighed loudly and flopped down next to me, mimicking my pose.

"Well that's no fun. I was positive dressing him up all modern would make him irresistible."

I chuckled. "It did. If he wasn't a constant gentleman around me, he could have had me out of my pants in nothing flat." I sighed contentedly at the thought. "So, I take it you're responsible for his new look?"

"Guilty as charged. We've been out around humans hundreds of times. I've seen the type of men you ogle when you think I'm not looking. Marcus is your type, physically, and I figured you'd appreciate him in a new and improved look. You're welcome."

I rolled my eyes. We continued to sit in silence for probably ten minutes or so. I was tempted to just go back to sleep, but I knew I had to head back to my family's house. I needed to smooth things over and see where we stood. At least I knew some of them would still welcome me back with open arms.

With a sigh, I got up and headed to the walk in closet, which was fully stocked with my own clothes from home. This made me smile. I was amazed at how comfortable I had become since my new family had arrived. Further proof that I was where I needed to be. As much as I loved my old family, I just wasn't a part of them anymore. I would always love them and they would always be family, just not my primary family. Marcus was my family now. The Volturi guard were my siblings and Aro was like a crazy brother-in-law.

A messed up family, for sure, but one I had grown to love dearly.

Jane poked her head into the closet. "Something wrong? You usually don't take this much time to pick out what to wear for the day."

I sighed again, plopping down onto the floor of the closet, resting my head in my hands. Jane sat down next to me. "I don't know, Jane. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Sure, the Volturi tried to kill my family a long time ago. It was a miscommunication." I paused, looking up a Jane. She had a look on her face which said that she didn't believe the attack on my family was due to a miscommunication anymore than I did. "OK, so maybe Aro was trying to get more out if it than he tried to let on, but that's beside the point. I'm marrying Marcus. He's one of the most understanding men on the planet. It's not like he's trying to take me away from my family. If he was, I wouldn't be here, in the middle of nowheresville, playing house. Why are vampires so stubborn?"

Jane placed a hand on my back, supportively. "We're stubborn because, even with our immortality, I think we're all still afraid of losing what we have. We get so use to not changing, that we tend to fear it, just a little." She stood up, looking down at me. "Now get up, get dressed and lets blow this joint. If you're going to force me to bare witness to more of your sickening human drama, then I want to get it over with sooner, rather than later."

I laughed, standing up and placed a hand on each of Jane's tiny shoulders. "Jane, your concern for my emotional welfare is overwhelming."

"It's why I'm here, babe." She replied, leaving me to prepare in private.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	30. Aftermath

Here we are folks, chapter 30. Sorry it's been forever since I've updated. I've been very distracted as of late. Hope you continue to enjoy my little saga.

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><p><strong>Jane POV<strong>

I was not happy to be returning to the Cullen's home. Animal drinkers bothered me. I just couldn't wrap my brain around anyone choosing to eat only animal blood. Sure, it will do in a pinch, but since the human population is so great these days, desperate situations very rarely happen anymore. You can't throw a stone in any direction without hitting at least one human and quite frankly, even the thinnest, weakest human is better than any animal.

Once she was ready, Ally and I raced towards her family's home. If it were anyone else but Ally, I wouldn't be going.

We were within hearing range of the house when Ally stopped. I was about to question her about it, but she silenced me. She was listening, for what, I wasn't sure. I settled for giving my friend a questioning look.

After a minute, she sighed and looked at me. "No heartbeats coming from the house. It means my parents and Sam are gone. Not really surprising, I guess."

"Why do you care?" I asked. Her parents didn't deserve Ally. She was better than them now.

She shrugged. "They're my parents. We may not agree about everything, but they are still my flesh and blood. I would have liked to see them again before I leave."

I wanted to tell her she was better off without them, but figured it might upset her, so I decided to try the supportive friend route instead. Having a best friend was a new concept to me, but I was trying my best.

"Maybe they're just not home. They might have needed some time to cool off and they're not very far way. You won't know until you get there." I said, supportively. Ally smiled at my reassurance.

"I doubt it." She replied. "But you never know, I guess. Maybe my dad has learned to stop being a thick headed bastard sometime in the last 12 hours."

"Are you sure you're ok with me just waiting outside while you talk to them? I'll stand with you if you need me to, you know that." I asked. We had agreed that me being in an enclosed space with her family was a bad idea, so I planned to stay just on the edge of the woods. I would be close enough to rush in, if need be, but far enough away that I wouldn't be tempted to throw my power on any of the family. It was just so much fun to watch someone you don't like reduced to a lump of clay, that I didn't know if I could resist.

Ally pulled me into a hug. "I think it's best if you stay outside, but it means alot that you'd go in with me if I needed you too."

Ally released me and we continued on our way. Minutes later, we were just on the edge of the woods outside their backyard. With a final sigh, Ally approached the house and I got comfortable. I settled in to listen to the theatrics.

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><p><strong>Esme POV<strong>

I sat in Carlisle's study reading the same page of a book hundreds of times and thinking of what could be done to fix our family. Jacob was just so stubborn. He refused to sit and discuss the situation with Ally, so he decided to avoid the issue altogether and was currently on his way back to La Push with Sam. Nessie went along with him, not wanting to leave her husband. Shortly after they left, Edward and Bella followed after them. They said they were going to try to talk some sense into Jake, but I think they just didn't' know what to do themselves and didn't want to face Ally when she returned, since Marcus would, more likely than not, be with her.

I was pulled from my musings by a familiar sound. There is nothing in the world that sounds like vampires running in the woods.

The remaining family gathered in the living room when we heard two vampires heading our way. One of them had to be Ally, since we could hear a heartbeat, but we weren't sure who the second vampire was. I doubted it was Marcus, since he would travel with at least a few of the guard.

A few minutes later, Ally walked in alone. To be honest, she looked better than she had for days. I had noticed that she wasn't sleeping well of the last few days. She obviously got a good nights sleep last night. I really didn't want to focus on the possible reasons behind it. I found the idea of Ally doing amorous activities with Marcus a bit disturbing and was thankful that Edward wasn't here to pick the idea out of my mind, or Ally's mind for the matter.

Ally looked at who was here and sighed.

"I figured Mom and Dad wouldn't be here today." She shrugged. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised that Edward and Bella aren't either."

I hugged her reassuringly. "Your father couldn't deal with the situation, so he decided to go back to La Push for a while. Your mother went with him. Edward and Bella followed after them to try to talk to Jake."

Ally scoffed. "You don't really believe that." It wasn't a question.

"No. You being courted by Marcus is particularly difficult for them. They'll come around. I honestly believe that."

Ally sat down on the couch next to Jasper and he wrapped his arm around her, sending calming waves in her direction.

"Well, I'm thankful the rest of you are still here. I know this isn't easy for any of you, but believe me, I'm happy with Marcus. This will ultimately be a good thing." Ally said.

Carlisle sighed. "I don't think any of us are really pleased with your choice, but we are willing to accept it. You are a part of this family, regardless of what you choose to do with your life."

"If you truly love Marcus, then none of us will stand in your way. We love you too much to do something like that too you." Rose added, holding Emmett's hand tightly from where they stood beside the couch.

"Thank you Rose. Thank you everyone. When I go back to Italy, it will give me peace of mind to know that I still have some family here."

"Are you going back soon?" Emmett asked.

"Probably in a week or two." She replied. "Marcus is planning on staying here with me until I'm ready to leave and I know Aro will start getting twitchy if Marcus is gone too long."

It made my heart sink just a little to hear this. We only had a week left with our granddaughter. I guess this is what it feels like to have your child get married and leave the nest, knowing her relationship with you would never be the same again. Jasper looked over to me with sympathy in his eyes. It would be hard for him, too, having to feel not only his own sadness for Ally's inevitable departure, but also everyone elses.

We talked with Ally for another hour or so, then she headed back to the house where she was staying with the Volturi. Apparently, Jane had accompanied her, but had chosen to stay outside while we talked. I was thankful for that. Jane was not one of my favorite people. However, she was a good friend to Ally and Ally didn't want to force her to sit through any more of the family discussion than she had too. She assured us that she would return tomorrow, probably with Marcus.

Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	31. The Real Me

Greetings friends. It's been ages since I've had a chance to work on this story. I've been doing a bit of non-fanfiction writing and I'm afraid I've totally neglected my stories. I'm gonna try and work on them more in the new year, since my life is starting to stabilize a bit. I really would like to finish some of them soon. Anyway, I hope you like.

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><p><strong>Marcus POV<strong>

I was anxious to get back to the house from my hunt. I knew Allyssa was in no danger from her vampire family and the fact that Jane went with her to see them just increased her security, but I still worried. Though these emotions were refreshing, since it had been so long since I had someone in my life who I cared for more than my own existence, they were still foreign and uncomfortable to me.

I was relieved to find that my love was at the house when I arrived.

When I entered the house, I found Ally sitting quietly in front of the fireplace. She just seemed to be watching the fire crackle, deep in thought. She rushed to envelop me in a hug as soon as I entered the room. She seemed mildly upset, clinging to me the way she did on the plane after she first encountered her old family. I returned the hug, soothing her. Seeing that things looked to be getting personal, the others left the house with a nod of recognition, allowing us a measure of privacy.

"What is wrong, Little One?"

"My parents and grandparents left the state. The rest of my family are still here, but all of my genetic relations have turned their back on me. Nothing that I wasn't already expecting, but it still hurt."

I kissed her gently on the top of the head. "I'm so sorry, Allyssa. Is there anything I can do?"

She sighed, snuggling closer to me. "Just never leave me." She said softly.

"That is something I can guarantee you. Now that I have you, I never plan to let you go." I looked down into her eyes. "We are eternal, as if one being. Nothing could ever change this." At my words, I could feel her heart beat faster and she started trembling. She rocked up onto her toes and kissed me gently. The kiss wasn't meant to be passionate, just comforting. When she pulled away from me, she seemed calmer.

I guided her to one of the overstuffed couches, sitting her down so she was reclining in my arms. "So, other than a few people missing, how was your visit with your family?"

"Actually, it was nice, considering. They are all being very supportive. They genuinely want me to be happy and if you make me happy, then they are willing to live with my choice. I don't think any of them necessarily have a problem with you as a person."

I chuckled. "Guilty by association?"

"Exactly. They'll get over what you are, once they get to know who you are. That is, if you are willing to let them see the person I know and love."

It was an interesting concept. In general, members of the Volturi coven were meant to strike fear in other vampires with little else required beyond visual recognition. Fear of us was how we kept control of the vampire world. Did I want to let the Cullen's see my true personality? I didn't have a problem with it, but I'm sure Aro will. He may see it as a sign of weakness, showing members of our only real potential competitors for power the true nature of one of our leaders.

Personally, Aro was happy to have me back mentally, but powerwise, I was more valuable as stoic statue than a happy, lovestruck vampire. I still played the quiet card when in public, but in private, I could once again be myself. It was just a matter of if Aro considered the Cullen coven public.

"They will get to know the real me, if they are willing to learn." I replied. This was for the woman I loved. I would do anything for her, no matter the cost. Aro would just have to live with it. Besides, I liked Carlisle. During his time with us, you could always count on him for fascinating conversations and debates. He had a unique way of seeing the world and was eager to discuss it. During my self induced walking coma, he was one of the few people who I had actual conversations with during his stay. I was interested to see how our conversations would be now, considering I was much more lively.

"Thank-you." Ally said. "This means a great deal to me."

"Anything for you, Little One." I stood, offering her my hand. "Shall we gather the guard and head over? There is no time better than the present."

Ally smiled, nodding. I could tell she wasn't totally confident that this whole endeavor wouldn't end in disaster. Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out...

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	32. Fatherly Duty

Hello all. Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been working. Alot. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you like. Thanks for reading.

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><p><strong>Two Weeks Later...<strong>

**Carlisle POV**

It was almost painful to admit, but I was beginning to feel good about Ally marrying Marcus.

The first time she came over with Marcus things were tense, but It got better once Marcus sent the guard away. It showed considerable faith in my family for him to send away his protection. He could probably still kill several us on his own before falling to sheer numbers, but after a few hours, I didn't feel at all threatened by this new Marcus. He was a totally different person, undoubtedly due to Ally's love and his distance from his brothers. He was always the more reasonable of the three when left to his own devices.

I was surprised to find that I actually liked the man. He was social and easy to speak with and, more importantly, he was good to Ally. He didn't see her as property or just some prize to be won. He genuinely loved her and she obviously loved him back. I didn't need Jasper around to see it. None of us did.

After two weeks, all of us were firmly in the corner of the relationship. If only our wayward family members had been here to witness how Marcus and Ally were together, there would be little doubt that they were meant for each other. I knew Edward, Bella and Nessie would eventually give in and accept Marcus as part of the family, but I also knew that Jacob never would. Unfortunately, it would ultimately be too much to ask of him.

I was walking through the woods with Marcus, talking privately while Allyssa said goodbye to the rest of the family. They had stuck around longer than Marcus had planned, but he didn't want Ally to feel like he was making her leave her family. The gesture was appreciated. Unfortunately, Ally couldn't stay forever, so I took the opportunity to speak to Marcus alone before they left. I felt someone had to do it, since her father wasn't here and I was the head of this coven, the responsibility naturally fell to me.

"So, will you be taking her right back to Italy?" I asked, trying to find a subtle way to convey my need to ensure Ally's happiness and safety.

"I'm sending the guard home, but I plan to travel with Allyssa for a few weeks before we return. I wish to get to know her outside of Volterra. I haven't taken a mate or even showed interest in a woman since Didyme was killed. I intend to take my time getting to know her as more than just a friend. She is more precious to me than anything else in this world, including my own existence. I do not wish to rush any of this, for myself or for her."

I smiled, both internally and externally. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

"Then I guess there is no need to threaten you if you treat Allyssa badly or hurt her." I joked. "It sounds like you understand her better than she even understands herself. I just ask one thing of you."

Marcus chuckled at my joke. "Anything."

"Just take care of her. She's old for her age, but still very young. I'm confident that you will make her happy, and you will protect her, but it just feels right for me to request it out loud. This is the first time I've more/less given away a female child to live her life away from the family."

Marcus stopped our stroll, facing me. "You have my word, Carlisle, Allyssa will be safe with me. I also promise not to take her away from you. She will visit often and your family will alway be welcome to visit her in Italy. I understand it may be difficult, considering the history between your family and mine, but we will make it work. Ally is a very special person and I will never deny her anything."

I reached over and shook his hand. "Thank-you." I looked back towards home. "We should be getting back."

Marcus nodded and we sprinted back to the house at full speed.

I was now confident that even though we would all miss her, Allyssa would be in good hands.

To Be Continued….


	33. Faster

New chapter is up. I'm starting to run out of chapters to post. I"m gonna have to start writing more. Anyway, enjoy.

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

Marcus and I spent two months exploring the US. We visited museums and other locations of cultural significance. We ran through national parks and vast forests and spent nights in the most expensive hotels and inns. We would eat in a new place everyday, Marcus ordering something I would like, so as not to arouse suspicion and also to allow me to try twice as many items on the menu. Sometimes being half shifter came in handy. We just needed to make sure to wear our sunglasses or keep contacts in, to hide our eyes.

Marcus continued to be a gentleman, taking our physical relationship at a pace I chose. We continued to hold hands and exchanged hugs and kisses as freely as breathing. At night, we would explore each other just a little further than the night before. To be honest, I was beginning to find denying him sex more and more difficult as my affection for him increased. I doubted I would be able to hold out much longer.

Even though it was an amazing trip, I think both of us were happy to finally make it back to Italy.

Aro was eager to see our trip and was ecstatic at the progression of our relationship. Marcus assured me that I would get use to him eavesdropping on my most intimate thoughts. I really didn't mind all too much. I wasn't ashamed of our relationship, but it was weird to think that Aro got to see everything that happened between Marcus and I.

I sat on the roof of the building with Sulpicia and Athenodora, enjoying the sunshine and telling the women all about my trip. They were more than excited to hear that Marcus was now officially courting me.

"This is just so exciting. Soon there will be three wives instead of just us two." Sulpicia said, lounging on her padded deck chair.

"Not to mention, we'll get to plan a wedding. It's been far too long." Athenodora added, pulling her sunglasses to rest on the top of her head as she looked to us.

"Hold on there, ladies. Marcus and I aren't there yet." I objected.

Sulpicia leaned forward, addressing me directly. "Why not? You love him, don't you?"

"Of course, more than anything. It's just, I don't know if I'm ready to get married."

Athenodora scoffed. It was a sound I don't' think I've ever heard come out of her mouth. "Ally, sweetie, you're thinking of this in human terms. You are immortal. There is no need to wait until you're older and more mature. You have no need to be fixed in a career or save money to afford a ceremony. For vampires, marriage is a technicality. A human event. Vampires take mates and know the moment they meet that they will be together forever."

"You've heard how Marcus was before he met you." Sulpicia added. "The fact that he survived after Didyme's death just proves that he was always meant to find and bond with you. You're already married in your hearts. The ceremony will just be paperwork. Another tactic we use to blend in with human society."

"And a really good excuse to throw a party, right?" I asked. I didn't want to admit it, but the women had a point. I loved Marcus. I planned to spend the rest of eternity with him. What was the point of waiting to make it legal? I only wished that Esme, Rose and Alice were here to help plan. They loved a good wedding almost as much as Sulpicia and Athenodora did.

"You can even invite your family to Italy to help plan." Sulpicia offered, reading my mind. "I'm just dying to meet Carlisle's wife after all these decades. We promise to play nice." Athenodora nodded her head in agreement.

I sighed. "Fine, I'll think about it." I relented. This made both vampires squeal with excitement. "Just don't start planning anything until Marcus and I are officially engaged, OK?"

They looked at each other, then back at me. "We promise." They lied, knowing that I could tell.

Surprisingly, I didn't mind. I was too caught up thinking about wearing a white dress and looking Marcus in the eyes while saying I Do to really care.

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><p>To Be Continued….<p> 


	34. Honor

Next chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

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><p><strong>Carlisle POV<strong>

Ally was smiling uncontrollably as we strolled through the streets of Volterra. We had left Esme, Alice and Rose back at the Volturi's compound, feverishly planning Marcus and Ally's wedding with Sulpicia and Athenodora. Jasper and Emmett had decided to go on a late evening hunt, most likely to avoid the tedious busy work the women kept asking them to do. Even Aro and Caius were making themselves scarce these days. The brothers weren't even immune to their wives constant wedding demands. The situation make me chuckle.

Edward and Bella had rejoined the family a few weeks after leaving, but they had opted to stay home, instead of making the trip to Italy for the wedding. They hadn't really supplied me with any kind of reason or excuse for their refusal to be at their granddaughter's wedding, they just simply didn't join us for the trip. I think this angered me more than if they would have simply told me they didn't feel comfortable coming along.

What angered me more, however, was Jacob and Nessie. They were her parents and they were not going to be here to see her walk down the aisle. True, vampires tended to get married over and over again, so missing one wedding really wasn't that big a deal, but this was Ally's first. I was particularly disappointed with Nessie. She had expressed in her phone calls to Esme that she missed Ally and deeply regretted leaving her behind to accompany Jacob back to La Push, but she also had no desire to leave her husband by himself.

It was a difficult situation and I doubted that even time would be able to fix it.

I let a sigh escape before I could stop myself and Ally looked up at me with worried eyes.

"Are you alright, Carlisle? You've been very quiet since we left the compound. I thought you'd be relieved to get out for a while." She asked, tightening her hold on me arm, as I was guided her down the street.

I chuckled. With everything that was happening, she still worried about my mood. Ally really was a remarkable person.

"I'm fine, sweetie, just thinking about the family members we left back home. I'm sorry they will not be here for you."

Ally shrugged. "It's alright. I kinda figured mom and dad wouldn't be here. Not really surprised Edward and Bella didn't make the trip, either. I'm disappointed, of course. I had a tiny little trickling of hope they might put aside their hate and be here for me, but I'm not shocked by their absence." She sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm just thankful the rest of you are here."

"Of course we're here, Ally. None of us would miss this for the world. Besides, I can't think of a single time when Esme, Rose and Alice have passed up a chance to plan a party of any kind. They seem to be fond of weddings, in particular.

This made Ally laugh out loud.

"That is true."

We walked in silence for a few moments, enjoying the evening air, but I had a feeling that Ally had more on her mind than just the absence of her parents. She had asked me to take a walk with her, seeming almost nervous about it. My great-granddaughter wanted to talk about something.

"I'd like to ask you something." She started, again seeming slightly nervous.

"You know you can ask me anything."

Ally stopped walking, releasing my arm and turned to face me.

"Since my dad isn't here, would you walk me down the aisle and give me away?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I pulled her into a hug. "Of course I will. I'd be honored."

I was honored, but hated that Jacob would not be here. This should be his job, but thanks to his stubborn nature, we was going to miss it. It made me sad.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	35. Risky Business

Sorry for the delay on updates. Hope you like. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Nessie POV<strong>

I sat at the kitchen table, thumbing through the pictures Esme had just sent me on my phone.

Jacob and I had decided not to attend Ally's wedding out of protest to the marriage, but when Esme sent me a text asking if I wanted to see some pictures from the wedding, I said yes without hesitation.

The first picture was a group photo of all of our family together with just Ally. Everyone looked so happy. I couldn't help but think that Jake and I should have been in the picture.

The second picture was of just Ally. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her dress appeared to be another of Alice's creations and it fit her personality perfectly. I had to wipe a few tears from my eyes before I could continue to the last picture.

Jacob walked in and rushed to my side when he saw I was crying.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" He asked concerned, pulling a chair up next to mine, so he could put his arm around my shoulders.

I held up my phone so he could see the picture of Ally.

"How could we miss our own daughter's wedding day? What kind of parents are we for skipping out on her simply because we don't agree with who she has chosen to spend her life with?" I asked.

"We had to. Our daughter has married a Volturi. She's one of the enemy now."

I didn't know how to answer my husband. His words were cold. Did he really think Allyssa was the enemy now? If she tried to see us, would she be attacked by the pack like any other unknown vampire? The thought scared me. Married to Marcus or not, she was still our daughter. Our flesh and blood.

I skipped to the final picture and my heart stopped.

It was a picture of Marcus and Ally together. The backdrop was a beautiful garden full blooming red roses. It was taken outside, but the sun was not visible, so Marcus did not sparkle, at least not literally. The couple was sparkling, though. They were looking at each other with such love and happiness that there was no question as to how they felt. It was the kind of picture any parent would be proud to display on their mantle.

I slammed the phone down onto the table and started to sob.

"We are terrible people." I said, placing my head down on the table, covering my head with my arms. Jacob tried to comfort me, but I just pushed his hand away.

I heard him sigh loudly, then leave the house.

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><p><strong>Jacob POV <strong>

I was beyond angry.

I admit, it hurt to see the pictures of Ally. She looked so beautiful and happy. This was a day Nessie and I should have shared with her. Ally should have been marrying a nice, human man and we should have been there for her.

This was all that Volturi bloodsucker's fault.

I growled, only just barely getting my clothes off and tied to my ankle before shifting. I began to run away from the house, leaving Nessie alone, crying at the table. She needed time and I needed to think. Fortunately, I was the only pack member wolfed out, so I was alone with my thoughts.

There had to be a way to get Allyssa back. I had to come up with a plan.

After running alone for almost an hour, I came up with one.

It was dangerous and risky, but it was the only way...

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	36. Lie

Well folks, I pretty much have this entire story written. Now I just need to get off my lazy butt and re-read and post it. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Jacob POV<strong>

The plane ride to Italy was long. Very long.

Sam did his best to calm me, but I was too wound up to relax. Seth, Embry, Leah and Sam had all agreed to accompany me to Volterra, as my backup. Not that I needed backup. If my plan went south, I was as good as dead anyway. I hated to put my packmates in the same danger, but they refused to let me carry out my plan alone.

I had left Nessie at home, telling her I was going on an outing with the pack. That, in and of itself, was not unusual, so she didn't question me about it. She simply gave me a kiss goodbye, requesting I call her every night I was gone. She didn't need to know what I was planning to do. She'd forgive my deception once Ally was home with her family.

Once we landed, we headed out to an area of forest secluded enough for us to use as a campsite. It was close enough to Volterra to run as a wolf, but far enough away to be reasonably safe.

I asked Embry, Seth and Leah to set up camp, as Sam and I headed out to ask an audience with the Volturi. I knew Ally and Marcus were still on their honeymoon, but Aro would be there and he was the one I needed to speak to. There may have been three brothers, but Aro would have the final word. Or at least that was the theory I was counting on.

Sam left strict orders for the three younger wolves to return home without us if they did not hear anything from us by the next morning. They protested, of course, but did as they were told.

Sam and I phased to wolves and ran. Sam's mind was oddly quiet as I let my plan filter through my thoughts. This had to work.

"Are you sure about this, Jake?" Sam asked, finally breaking his silence once we were within visual range of the city.

"Yes." I replied.

Sam did not question me further, but his thoughts were slightly skeptical. I knew he didn't totally agree with what I had in mind, but he at least had a decency to keep it to himself.

We phased back to human, dressed, then heading into the heart of enemy territory…

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><p><strong>Aro POV <strong>

I sat in the library, doing nothing in particular.

Marcus often came here simply to relax and listen to the city. I tried it for myself shortly after the wedding and found Marcus's memories to be correct. This was a very relaxing place to monitor the world around us. It was almost meditative.

I wasn't overly please with Jane when she came in, interrupting my silent meditation.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, master, but we have some very interesting visitors at the door."

"Visitors, how lovely." I said, taking Jane's hand and seeing for myself who was waiting for me in my audience chamber. I had to laugh. "And I thought today was going to be boring."

I stood, looking down at the smaller vampire.

"Tell Caius to meet me outside the audience chamber. And do see that our canine guests are not harmed. At least not yet. I do wish to speak with them before we kill them."

Jane nodded and left to carry out my orders.

I meandered slowly to the room just outside the chamber containing our guests, meeting up with Caius, who was already wearing his long robe. I put mine on, still chuckling about the situation.

"So, it's true then?" He asked me. "There are two of Ally's former wolfpack in the audience chamber? They actually came here, willingly, to speak with us?"

"So it would seem." I replied.

"We do plan to kill them?" Caius asked. He had never been fond of shapeshifters and had been very upset by leaving them alive the last time we had met. As far as I knew, Ally was the only exception to his kill all wereanimal rule.

"Of course, but I believe one of these wolves might just be Ally's biological father. It is most curious for him to come all the way to Volterra, knowing his daughter is not here. We shall listen to what they have to say, then decide their fate. We mustn't be hasty."

Caius growled softly, but nodded in agreement.

I casually strolled into the chamber and took my seat, not really looking at our guests. Caius entered behind me and once we were seated, I looked at them. Really looked at them.

I didn't need to be told which of the two men was Allyssa's father. The family resemblance was striking, from what our young friend had looked like from Marcus's memories before he changed her. I also noted that both men were extremely nervous with a hint of fear. This pleased me.

"I am most surprised to have members of my dear Allyssa's former wolf pack come visit us in our home. Knowing Allyssa is still out of the country, no less. I am curious as to your intentions."

The younger of the two men took a step forward. This was the one I assumed was Ally's father.

"My name is Jacob and I am Allyssa's father. I have concerns that in the foreseeable future, you will be losing Marcus, just as completely as we have lost Ally."

I narrowed my gaze. "What, exactly, do you mean by 'lose Marcus?" I asked. "Are you threatening my people, wolf. It would be extremely unwise, considering where you stand."

The wolf back pedaled. "No, of course not. I just mean that Marcus and Ally have plans to leave the Volturi and live alone. They do not wish to be a part of a larger group."

I yearned to touch the wolf and see his knowledge of myself, but kept my distance. "And how did you come by this information?"

The wolf took a deep breath, presumably to calm his nerves, but it could have also been a sign of deceit. Either way, my patience with him was beginning to wear thin and they were beginning to stink up my audience chamber. He had better make his point soon, or he wouldn't leave this room alive.

"Ally has been talking with her mother in an attempt to mend fences. She told Nessie of their plans."

I tapped my fingers together slowly, my mind traveling at vampire speed. If the wolf was telling the truth, then I had to be decisive to prevent my brother's departure. The wolf, however, could be lying. The question was, could I risk it? I looked to Caius, who held his hand out to me. I took it and got his opinion. He agreed that we could not risk losing Marcus, but he did not trust the wolf any more than I did. He also doubted if Ally would call her mother during her honeymoon.

I glared at the wolves. I did not like being lied to. I should just kill them and be done with it, but one of these offensive creatures was related to a member of my coven. Until I sorted this out, I would let him live. But if I discovered he was lying to me, we would end him and his entire pack, regardless of Ally's feelings.

I smiled at the wolves. "I appreciate you coming to me with this. I assure you, this situation will be dealt with."

I waved my hand to the guard present in the room, signalling for our guests to be escorted out. I could almost feel Caius's anger at allowing them to leave unharmed, but he was also as confused as I was about their purpose for sharing this information.

But if it was indeed true that Marcus and Allyssa were planning to leave the Volturi, then I would need to deal with them. The couple was due back in a few short hours. Caius and I needed to decide how to handle the situation before our brother returned home.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	37. What Have I Done

Howdy folks. The next chapter is up. We're starting to reach the end of this story. Just a few chapters left. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Sam POV<strong>

For a few minutes, while we stood in silence in front of two of the oldest vampires in existence, I was convinced Jacob and I were going to die. The look on both of their faces said loud and clear that they wanted us both dead, for no other reason than that we existed.

I couldn't help letting out an audible sigh of relief when we exited the city. I wasn't entirely confident they bought our ruse, but it was done. All we could do now was wait to see what happens. With any luck, Ally would be calling someone in the family to tell us Aro was forcing her and Marcus to separate. To tell us she was being cast out of the Volturi. To tell us she was coming home.

Both of our minds were fairly silent as we ran back to the camp, finding three very anxious packmates who were overjoyed to see us both still alive, when we arrived.

"Did it work?" Seth asked.

Jacob shrugged. "Difficult to say. Those damn ancient bloodsuckers were impossible to read. We can only wait now for a reaction from Ally when she gets home. She should be getting back from her honeymoon in a few hours, according to what Esme was telling Nessie."

As if knowing we was talking about her, Jake's phone rang, displaying Nessie's name.

He smiled, answering it quickly. "Well, hey babe. I was just thinking about you."

The phone was not on speaker, but with our overly sensitive hearing and the fact that Nessie was yelling, we could all hear the conversation.

"Do you mind telling me why your phone GPS is currently saying you're in Italy?" She said, none too happily. Jacob cursed under my breath. Apparently, he had completely forgotten about the GPS trackers all of us had on our phones.

"I'm getting our daughter back." He replied confidently.

"What did you do, Jacob?" Came a distressed male voice. It sounded like Edward.

Jake proceeded to explain his plan to Edward, Nessie and anyone else who was listening in on the conversation. I'd guess, at the very least, Bella. I heard Edward curse, then yell over to Bella, telling her that Carlisle and Esme were still out of the country and for her to call them.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Edward said, not yelling, but angry all the same. "Did you know that Marcus was married once before, to Aro's sister? According to Carlisle, they had planned to leave the Volturi and live a quiet life together. Two days later, Aro's sister was killed. There is no evidence that Aro was responsible, but it was common knowledge that Aro valued Marcus for his gifts far more than he valued his sister and he's the kind of vampire who will do anything to hold onto his power. If he could have had his own sister killed, just to prevent Marcus from leaving the Voturi, what do you think he'd do to Ally?"

Jake drop the phone, but Seth was close enough to catch it before it hit the ground. I motioned for Seth to hand the phone to me and he did without argument.

"Edward, this is Sam. Are you saying that Aro might simply kill Ally to prevent Marcus from leaving the Volturi?" I prayed that I had heard him wrong.

"That is exactly what I'm saying." He stated. I switch the phone to speaker, so Jacob could hear. I could hear Bella talking in the background. "They Volturi don't just let members of their coven come and go as they please. Every member has a value to Aro and he'd rather they die than take the chance they could fight against them or, in Ally's case, rejoin Carlisle's family"

Bella's voice came on the line. "I talked with Carlisle. He and Esme are running back to Volterra, but he said it would probably be at least six or seven hours before they can get there, even at top speed."

"Is there anything we can do?" I asked.

"If you go back to Volterra and confess that you lied to Aro, he'd have all of you killed and might even send a force to La Push, to exterminate the entire pack. He doesn't like being lied to and Caius has a notorious hatred for werewolves. Give them any excuse to kill you all and I'm almost positive they will take it. I'm afraid the only thing you can do is wait and pray that Carlisle get's there in time to stop Aro from doing anything rash."

There was a long pause. Jake was obviously in shock, saying nothing. If it didn't mean a possible death sentence to the entire pack, even our families back home, I'd be forcing Jake to run back to Volterra and confess his deception. As it was, I wasn't willing to risk everyone in La Push, just for Ally's life. As much as it pained me to admit it.

"You just sentenced our daughter to death." Nessie stated, hanging up the phone before Jake could respond.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	38. Good to Be Home

Next chapter up. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I sighed internally as our plane touched down. It had been a very nice honeymoon, but it was still nice to be home.

Marcus seemed to sense my conflict, taking my hand and squeezing it supportively.

"What has you so worried?" He asked.

I smiled at my husband. "I'm not worried, just conflicted about coming home. I miss home, but I loved being alone with you. It was nice to be able to just be us for a while.

Marcus chuckled. "We are still us and will always still be us. Whenever you need us time again, we will plan another trip. We have all eternity, after all."

I leaned into him, cuddling close to him. "You're right. I have no worries. Except maybe being tackled by Jane when we walk in the door."

The plane landed and we exited to find two vampires waiting for us. Fortunately, it was a cloudy day, so they could wait out in the open. I recognized them as two of the newer members of the guard, who had joined us shortly before our wedding. Their names were Nomi and Geno, if I remembered correctly.

"Welcome back, Masters." Geno said. I was being called Master, since I was one of the wives now. It was odd to me and something I wasn't sure I could get use to.

"Thank you, Geno." Marcus replied. Nomi went to retrieve our bags and load them into a car.

"Master Aro has asked if you could accompany me to investigate a possible new guard member before we return. He is concerned about a possible bond he may have with a less desirable vampire. Nomi will take Ally home, if Master agrees."

I chuckled. "Aro must have been itching to get you back. Wonder how long he has been waiting to check this new guy out?"

Marcus smiled at me and kissed my cheek. He then turned to Geno. "We might as well do this now." He turned back to me. "You go home with Nomi. I'm sure Aro is very eager to see how our trip went."

I cringed slightly. I wasn't entirely happy to show Aro everything that happened between Marcus and I over the time we were gone. Most of our time was spent in very intimate situations, which should be kept private between the two of us. Marcus found my apprehension amusing. He had lived with Aro far longer and was use to being an open book to his brother. He assured me I would get use to the personal openness.

Marcus dashed off with Geno and I got into the car with Nomi. Nomi was very quiet, which was not unusual, since I did not know her well and she obviously wasn't comfortable talking with me on a personal level. At least not yet. She didn't know the non-leadership me.

When we got to the compound, Nomi got out of the car and began to unload the bags. "I will take your things to your quarters. Aro wishes to see you in his audience chamber right away."

I nodded and headed down the hall, mildly curious as to why Aro was so anxious to see me. I didn't see anyone on my way, which was unusual, but I figured the main guard were off on a mission. It was probably why Aro sent two of the newer guard to collect us.

I entered the audience chamber, noticing that Aro stood alone by his seat. He stood motionless, not registering that I even entered, except for his eyes. They seemed more focused than normal. I left the door open behind me.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut. I whipped around and found Caius standing behind me. Before I could comment, Caius slammed into me, one hand on my neck, squeezing, and the other arm pressed against my upper chest, pinning me to the wall. I could feel sharp stabs of pain where bones gave way under the pressure. I could barely breathe, let alone talk. I struggled under the vampire's arm, but there was no hope of getting free. I was strong, but Caius was stronger.

Aro walked slowly towards me, his hands clasped behind his back in a very casual way.

I watched him approach, terror painted on my face, as I gasped for breath.

"I've heard some interesting gossip, while you and my brother were away. Some gossip which concerns me. You see, it's very important that my brother stays a part of the Volturi . I refuse to take the chance that Marcus will leave us. Now, or in the future."

My mind was reeling. Why in the hell did Aro think Marcus was leaving the Volturi?

"It is unfortunate. I have grown very fond of you. Caius, brother, kill her."

I braced for the end, but Caius didn't react with his usual vampire speed. This was my chance and probably the only one I would get. I reached my hand out to Aro, palm up, the usual way I did when I wished for him to view my memories.

"Caius, wait." Aro said, just as I started to feel the pressure increase on my neck, feeling several more bones snap. I could taste blood in my mouth.

Aro took my hand and I allowed my mind to open up to him. He saw everything. I focused on how much I loved my life here and how much I never wanted to leave. I envisioned how much I loved to watch the three brothers interact. Tears formed in my eyes as I thought of how much I loved Marcus.

Aro closed his eyes and watched. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. "Release her."

Caius let me go and I slumped to the floor. I gasped in a breath the best I could, though my airway was at least partially crushed. I coughed and tasted more blood, a few drops landing on the floor under me.

The door to the chamber burst open and Marcus entered at full speed. He saw me on the floor and rushed to my side, eyeing his brothers. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded.

"I apologize, brother. It would seem I have been naive and believed some false information. In my haste, I may have overreacted." Aro replied, calmly, as if he hadn't just ordered my death.

Marcus growled, cradling me in his arms.

Aro held up a hand. "Not to worry, brother. This injustice will be rectified." He looked over to Demetri, who had just entered the chamber with Jane and Alec. Jane rushed to my side, not caring that Aro hadn't permitted her to. "Did you track where our little canine visitors went after leaving here, as I asked?"

Demetri nodded. "Yes, Master."

Canine visitors? Did he mean werewolves? Did he mean my father's pack? I had so many questions, but could not speak to ask them. All I could do was focus on breathing, which was a chore.

"Take the guard and exterminate the wolves." Aro looked down at me. "Your father will pay the price for attempting to deceive me."

I once again held my hand out to Aro and whispered the word please. He took it and I began to think everything I could not say.

"Hmm, interesting." Aro said. "Guard, wait. Our dear Allyssa will be going with you and she will give you instruction on what to do when you get there." He looked down at me. "You might want to leave now, or you will not stop Marcus from doing something overly harsh."

I looked to my side and Marcus was gone. I was in so much pain and confusion that I hadn't felt him leave.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	39. Fate

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Inspired me to post another one. I think there might be two more after this one, then this tale is finished. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Jacob POV<strong>

I had tried to go back to Volterra, but the others wouldn't let me go. As much as they all loved Ally, they were not willing to risk the lives of the pack, and possibly the whole of La Push, to save her.

I paced back and forth, waiting for something to happen. I could try to make a run for it, but I knew Leah was faster than I was and she could slow me down enough for the others to catch me.

I had really fucked this up. By trying to get Ally back, I may have killed her. Not knowing and not being able to do anything was eating me up inside. Why had I been so stupid as to believe I could manipulate Aro.

I lifted my head and looked towards the dense woods. I could hear someone approaching. Someone approaching fast. The others could hear it too, looking up from whatever they were doing.

Moment's later a blurr rushed into the clearing we were in, slamming directly into Sam, who flew backwards and hit a tree, hard. He fell to the ground and didn't move.

Before any of us could even phase, the blurr managed to knock out or kill, I could not tell which, the rest of the pack.

I stood alone, face to face, with Marcus. His red eyes seemed to almost glow with fury as he grabbed me by the neck and held my against a tree. I did not fight him. Him being here meant that Ally was dead. I had killed my own daughter.

Marcus growled at me, but didn't say a word. His face showed what a true vampire looked like, when he wasn't trying to look human. It was as if his anger made him beyond words. I deserved anything he did to me, though I wished there was a way to save my packmates who came with me on this mistake.

I was aware of multiple people closing in fast on us. If Marcus heard them, he did not care enough to show it. Seconds later, we were surrounded by robed figures.

"Marcus, stop." I heard a voice say softly. The voice was hardly a whisper and was gravelly, almost at a gasp.

One of the robed figures approach us, pulling her hood down to reveal Ally. My heart jumped that she was still alive, but I could see she had massive bruising around her neck, as if someone had tried to strangle her. She had been the source of the gravelly voice and I could hear her breathing was shallow and labored. I could also smell blood on her breath. Her own blood. One of the other robed figures stood next to her, almost holding her up.

"Marcus, please."

Marcus continued to glare at me, not looking to Ally. "He deserves to die." He said through his clenched teeth. He looked as if he was trying to decide if he should just kill me and ask for forgiveness, rather than wait for permission.

Ally nodded. "Yes, he does deserve to die. But not by you. You are better than this." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and his grip on me softened, then disappeared entirely. He took a step back, but didn't look away from me.

Ally took a step towards me. The only emotion I saw in her eyes was anger and hatred.

"For intentionally deceiving the Volturi, which nearly caused the death of one of our leadership, Aro has sentence you, and the pack who traveled with you, to death."

Ally's voice was solid enough to understand, but it was weak. I could tell she was having a very hard time breathing. She swayed, and Marcus placed an arm around her to help her keep her balance.

"I have pleaded with Aro for your lives and he has agreed to leave your fate in my hands."

She tried to take a deep breath, but coughed instead, her hand coming away red with blood. It took a minute for her to catch her breath, but she eventually managed it. I wanted to rush to her, but I knew my touch would be unwelcome.

"I now give your lives back to you. Consider it a final gift from your daughter..." She took a step closer to me, looking me deep in the eyes. "...since from this moment on, you no longer have one." She looked back at the other members of the pack. Seth and Embry were conscious and on their feet. Seth was checking on Leah, who was also starting to stir. Volturi guards stood close to them, ready to attack if the order came. Sam was still not moving.

"Revive your wolves and leave. We will not show mercy again." Ally stated, returning her eyes to mine.

"If any of your kind return to our territory, they will be killed on sight. There will be no further warnings." Marcus added.

Ally slumped down suddenly. The only reason she didn't hit the ground was because Marcus had his arm around her. He lifted her up into his arms and with a final angry look, darted back towards Volterra. The guard paused for only a moment, then followed their leader obediently.

Once all the vampires were gone, I dropped to my knees, not entirely thankful I was still alive. Ally survived my mistake, but I had lost her anyway. Lost her completely. Embry came to my side, while Leah and Seth checked on the still unmoving Sam.

Lean placed her fingers on his neck, checking for a pulse. She let out a deep breath she had been holding. "He's alive. He must have hit his head when he was thrown into the tree."

It took another half hour for Sam to begin to regain consciousness. We didn't talk much amongst ourselves, simply taking up a silent vigil until Sam was on his feet.

I couldn't tell if my packmates were happy to be alive, angry for what had happened or probably a mix of both. We were all still in shock.

Sam requested to know what had happened. I simply told him I'd fill him in on the plane ride home.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	40. Lost

Well, we're almost to the end. Just one more chapter after this one. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

I don't remember much of the run back home. I was extremely lightheaded. Even with my super ability to heal, it was going to take some time for my body to fix all the damage Caius had caused.

Marcus had left me in our chambers to rest, while he returned to speak with his brothers. I could tell he was extremely angry at them for even attempting to kill me, but I knew Aro would smooth things over with my husband. They had been through too much for a little thing like attempted murder to split them apart. Particularly now that we knew what lengths Aro would go to keep his coven together.

This thought should have scared me, but it didn't. Aro knew my intentions now. I had no reason to fear him. He was my brother and he had no reason to question my place and where I wished to be. Not anymore.

I heard a soft knock and I replied with a quiet, come in. It was probably Jane. She liked to worry about me. She wasn't overly happy with Aro, either, but there was very little she could do about her feelings other than keep them to herself.

The door opened and Carlisle walked in. Esme was right behind him, looking almost reluctant to enter.

I rushed to my great grandfather without hesitation and he hugged me tightly.

"I am so sorry, Ally. When we heard what Jacob had done, we tried to get here before you got home, but we didn't make it in time." He pulled away and looked at me. More accurately, he looked at my bruised neck. "Can I take a look at it." He asked.

I nodded. I accepted a hug from Esme, then took a seat, so Carlisle could examine me. Always the doctor.

"You're lucky to even be conscious right now." He said after a couple of minutes.

I smiled weakly. "I was lucky. Caius paused. Aro gave the order to kill me and Caius hesitated. Gave me the few seconds I needed to allow Aro to see my thoughts."

Carlisle smiled back at me. "I'm not surprised. You have a way with people. Always have."

"I'm guessing someone told you what happened." I said, doing my best to focus. My head was pounding.

Carlisle nodded. "Between the phone call from Bella and the information Marcus gave us when we got here, I think we got the whole story."

"I'm not going to forgive Jacob." I said, getting ready to defend my actions.

"We're not asking you to. Jacob did the only thing he could think of to get you back." Esme replied, taking my hand. "He made his decision and so did you. We respect it. You have a right to everything you are feeling. Just know we are here for you."

"Right now, that means more to me than all the blood in the world." I said, closing my eyes tightly. I was starting to see spots. "Can I ask a favor, though."

"Anything." Carlisle said.

"I think I'm going to pass out now, but maybe you could stick around the city for a few days?" I asked. It sounded pathetic, even to my own ears, but I desperately wanted some of my family around. I knew Jacob was out of my life and probably my mother as well, but I didn't want to lose everyone.

"Of course." Emse agreed.

"We'll let you get some rest and come back tomorrow, after you've had a chance to heal a little." Carlisle said, wiping a tear off my cheek I didn't even realized I had shed. "Aro offered to let us stay here for as long as we wish. We'll stay as long as you need."

I chuckled. It was just like Aro, mending fences to secure his power and place in the world.

Esme helped me into bed and with a final kiss goodbye, my great grandparents left, promising to return the next day. As I peacefully fell asleep, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was. Bruises and all.

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	41. Time

Here we are, the final chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed reading my little ramblings. If you get a moment, drop me a line and let me know what you think. I might do a sequel to it someday, but I have no ideas for one at the moment

Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Ally POV<strong>

**(Several years later)**

Jane, Alec and I were running at a nice leisurely speed away from my extended family's house. Leisurely, by vampire standards, at least.

I had gone with the guard out on a mission in the US, since it was a relatively short distance from my family. I spent two days with them while the guard did their work. I didn't actively participate in missions anymore, but I always took the opportunity to visit the family whenever the guard was being sent across the ocean. I would visit and the guard would send someone out to collect me, once the job was done.

I hadn't seen either of my parents since the incident in Italy which almost cost me my life, but I did see the other members of my family fairly frequently. Edward and Bella had been very remorseful at missing my wedding and had made an effort to accept my new life. My Aunts, Uncles, Carlisle and Esme all came to Volterra once to see me. The entire family, minus my parents, were now comfortable around my new married family and at least Edward and Bella were trying.

We were about halfway to the plane when a familiar scent stopped me in my tracks. Alec and Jane smelled it also. I could hear a large animal approaching us directly ahead of us. It wasn't trying to stay hidden at all, obviously making enough noise to announce its presence.

Jane gave me a worried look. "What do you want to do?" She asked.

I sighed. "You two go ahead back to the plane. I'll catch up with you."

Alec growled, obviously not liking my plan. Jane protested.

"But it's our job to get you back to the plane safely, Master. Should you really be along with him?" She asked, trying to hide a grin. She knew I hated being called Master and loved to throw the word in whenever she could.

"I'll be fine. Just do as I say." I looked at her with a slight smile. "And don't call me Master."

Jane gave me a fake salute. "You got it Master, but if you don't make it back to the plane in an hour, we're coming back for you. With the entire guard."

I nodded.

Alec and Jane both chuckled and sprinted off.

Once the two vampires were gone, I heard the animal come to a stop, and after a few minutes, Jacob walked into view. He approached me slowly, keeping a respectful distance, his hand up in the air, as if to show me he was unarmed.

"I'm guessing someone called to let you know I would be running through this area." I said, keeping my voice neutral.

Jacob nodded. "Esme called your mother. Don't be mad. I wanted to talk to you and this was the only way I could think to do it."

I stood quietly, waiting for him to speak.

"You look good." He finally said after a long pause.

"I feel good. Happy." I replied.

"That's good. Very good." He said, running his hand through his hair. A nervous habit my father has alway had. There was another long pause, as if he had something he wished to say, but couldn't find the right words to say it. Finally he cleared his throat.

"Your mother misses you." He said.

I smiled sadly. "I miss her too."

I did miss my mother. She had not been a part of my father's plans back in Italy, but she had never tried to extend an olive branch to me since I had disowned my father. My parents were very much a couple, a single unit. Always had been and probably always would be. She had probably figured I'd disowned both of them.

"Do you think it would be alright if she calls you sometime. I know what I did was wrong and I know you will probably never forgive me, but there is no reason she needs to suffer because I'm an idiot. She still loves you very much." He hung his head slightly and spoke softer. "We both do."

I gave him a small smile. "She can call me. That would be ok."

Jacob smiled back at me. "Thank you."

We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes.

"I need to get back." I said, turning to leave. I hate awkward silences.

"OK. Take care of yourself." He said, looking like he was fighting not to stop me from leaving. His sadness and regret were almost tangible.

"You too." I replied, turning and sprinting off in my original direction. I was about a mile away when I heard a mournful howl. It was the wolf equivalent of an apology.

I wasn't ready to forgive me father. Not yet. But I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. Forgiveness had to start somewhere and this was as good a place as any to begin.

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><p>The End<p> 


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